Sleeping Beauty
by XBrokenxDollsX
Summary: AU&OOC/ She didn't want to dwell on the past anymore, so she put her old-self to eternal slumber. Everything was going according to plan, until her prince charming decided to return and awaken her. Gruvia/NaLu/Gajevy/Jerza.
1. Chapter 1

I'm literally rolling around on my desk and screaming internally (mostly because my roommate is studying) about this. Nonononooo, leave me alone to cry by myself.

This is seriously AU. AU to the point where it's probably going to piss people off, but I don't really care. People who write fanfictions can do what they want, god damn it. OOC? I don't know for sure, since I'm still somewhat new to Fairy Tail, but that doesn't matter to me as of right now - probably when I get deeper into this story, if I do, I'll look more into character personalities.

Enjoy, babehz!

=xxx=

.

.

.

Sleeping Beauty

**Crime occurred around early morning outside of apartment complex near Oaktown City square.**

**Plaintiff suffered from major injuries among torso and limbs, as well as a concussion in the cranium. Plaintiff is forty year-old male with occupation of school teacher, where he had met the Defendant in his classroom.**

**Defendant is an underage female who only suffers from bruises on arms. No other serious injuries are visible on the body. When questioned, Defendant claims that Plaintiff was forcing himself upon her when bumping into him outside of her apartment complex, where she lives with her single mother and younger brother. **

**Defendant is found guilty of unnecessary violence and illegal Mage actions upon the Human Plaintiff. The Plaintiff had no weapon on his person, let alone recollection of the encounter of him trying to force the underage illegal Mage into action at the time of the attack.**

**Defendant's information is listed below…**

Juvia Lockser sat back in her chair, exhaling quietly as she looked away from the bright computer screen and rubbing her temples with the tips of her fingers. It wasn't even near the strike of twelve and the twenty-six year-old is already developing a headache.

_I should have bought the bottle of painkillers in the pharmacy on the way here, _Juvia thought sorrowly as she peeked her deep blue eyes to the bottle of chocolate milk still waiting to be finished. Slumping further into her desk, she reached over and dragged the bottle to her grasp, twisting the cap open and taking a large gulp of the sweet content greedily.

Taking a glance back to her screen, Juvia saw the little photo that was taken of the guilty Mage. Indeed, she looked incredibly young, and extremely frightened at the fact that this is her mug shot - her identity now being put on record and will forever take over her life, strip away her freedom…

And a easy target to being arrested for defending herself.

It was Juvia's job, however, to officialize the young girl's file into the system.

Juvia Lockser works for the company of E.N.D., which is a private operation for legal issues between the Humans and Mages that live on Earth, as well as deep investigators to major cases that are assigned by the government. For the protection of both Humans and Mages, E.N.D. works around the clock to make the world a safer place, as their motto stays true to their claim.

Mages are homosapiens with a mutant genetic that makes them different from Humans. Mages can control elements to their will, or even more extra-terrestrial intelligence that will blow other's mind (sometimes literally); having earning their names from the ancient times as identifying them as wizards or witches, having magic abilities that others can not fathom the responsibility of. Therefore, it is illegal for Mages to use their abilities in the presence of Humans, since it is considered unfair and morally dangerous to lives. Laws were passed centuries ago for Mages to keep their powers to themselves, otherwise suffer consequences of the law.

In short, be Human or face punishment.

Looking at her sent profile once more, Juvia couldn't help but stare emptily at the girl's scared face. It was Juvia's job to make the profiles official, then it would be sent to law enforcements, schools, residents and hireable jobs that the girl may go to when she is released from her confinement in the next two months. It was Juvia's job to put down what the court says word-by-word, for the good of the community in the future.

However, Juvia knew better than to mark the underage Mage as 'Untameable' and 'Dangerous', as the court order instructs her to do.

Setting her bottle back on her organized desk, Juvia opened up the girl's file and when to the criminal record section. There, she saw what the judge put down for the girl after the case was finalized, and it was the same words that Juvia is suppose to agree on.

Juvia edited that part of the file, deleted _Untameable _and _Dangerous, _replacing the two with _Stable _and _Mentally sane. _Then, for extra measures for the innocent girl to grow up a little bit better than what was to be expected, the blue-haired woman went into the notes and typed frantically:

"**Capable of controlling her abilities, unless for self defense or threat to herself and community. Safe for working environments and public services."**

Not hesitating to send it off, Juvia finalized the girl's file to perfection and sent it to be forever known to the world that the prosecuted child was innocent. Very rarely would Juvia ever go against the company's policies and completely lie about the court's final verdict. But Juvia had attended one of the cases where the girl was questioned infront of the court, and Juvia could easily recognize the poor child's eyes of horror and tears of fright when her mother shrieked in a wailing cry when the judge slammed his hammer…

_Be safe, sweetheart, _Juvia thought a message to the girl's mugshot, her manicured fingers lightly poking the blue-lit screen. _Be a good girl for Juvia, and protect your mom, too…_

Juvia wasn't aware of someone opening the door to her secluded office until they called her name. "Miss Juvia, are you busy right now?" the familiar voice of her co-worker snapped the blue-haired woman from her thoughts, causing her to bolt up out of her chair.

"_Juvin!" _she squeaked with a bright face, her hands clenched tightly as she tried to breathe normally. Her signature noise was quite well-known to the workspace, making it less embarrassing for Juvia to make it.

Her co-worker, so used to Juvia being easily startled, smiled in greeting. "Sorry about that, Miss Juvia," he apologized, causing her to wave him off silently, her cheeks still pink. "I just wanted to tell you that the boss is wanting to talk to you. I guess your phone is still broken, huh?"

Juvia flushed deeper, looking at the empty space where her office phone used to be. "J-Juvia is still trying to get a new one…" she mumbled, unable to look at her co-worker, who chuckled politely. "It's still sad that I lost the phone because it fell off the desk… Juvia is clumsy."

"It's okay," he smiled. "Anyway, the boss would like to see you as soon as possible, incase you're working on a file."

"No, no!" Juvia perked right away, straightening her dress-skirt to her knees and fixing her black sweater. "Juvia just finished one, so she can go right now."

"Great," her co-worker nodded. "I'll leave you to it, Miss Juvia." With that, he gently closed her office door with a soft 'click!'.

Juvia took a moment to recollect herself, finishing her chocolate milk and tossing the empty bottle into the waste bin. She locked her computer screen and left her office into the hallway, heading to the path of her boss's office. It wasn't too rare for Juvia to be called by her boss, however she knew that he was currently overloaded by paperwork and phone calls out the 'wazoo' - as he told her at the beginning of the week over a break in the lunch room - but this was unusual. Juvia knew that her boss prefered his solitude while he worked, especially with a large amount of work to be done, so she wondered if something was wrong.

Noticing the sudden quietness of the cubicles Juvia passes, she suddenly wondered if her boss had discovered some of the files Juvia had corrupted from order. Biting her lip, she did her best to ignore the stares she was receiving by everyone and marched to the double-doors that was familiar as her boss's office.

She hesitated at first when she raised her hand, but she swallowed down her worries and forced a gentle knock on the cold, cold doors.

"Come in," a deep voice was heard in response.

Juvia opened one of the doors and peeked in, seeing the piles of paper on the glass desk and a few on the floor. Slipping into the room, Juvia leaned her back to close the door as quietly as possible, keeping her chin down and nibbling her lip. The sleek, black leathered chair was facing away from her sight, but she knew that her boss was on the otherside.

"Mister Vastia, you wanted to see Juvia?" she called out in a soft voice, somewhat worried of what was to come.

The sudden swirl of the black chair made her blink, revealing her department's boss with a flashing smile. Silvery hair and tanned skin, Lyon Vastia grinned brightly at the presence of Juvia, quickly to set the collection of papers onto the rest of the pile.

"Juvia!" Lyon greeted with a wink, making a hand gesture for his visitor to take a seat in the chair that was empty. Once Juvia politely obeyed, holding her white skirt as she settled into the plush cushion, he smiled even bigger. "What have I said about calling me by my last name? You've worked here long enough to call me just by my first name, Ju-vi-a."

Juvia frowned and set her hands on her lap. "Juvia is sorry, Lyon."

"Don't worry about it," Lyon waved it off casually. Setting his elbows on his fancy desk, he leaned forward. "So, lets just get down to business, shall we? Do you know why I wanted you to come here?"

Juvia shook her head while her mind was scanning all the possible reasons why. Did she get caught tampering with files? Letting many Mages get a better outcome of their sentences? The fact that she was a minute late checking in because her train was delayed?

Lyon, however, said the worst conclusion to Juvia's ears.

"It's your _birthday_, Juvia," Lyon smiled brightly, his eyes squinting with joy. "You're twenty-six today, aren't you?"

Juvia swallowed thickly, looking to her exposed knees as she nodded in agreement to her boss. She heard him chuckle, and her cheeks reddened. "Why don't you ever tell anyone - especially me! - about your birthday? You've worked here for two years now, and you never told me when your birthday was!"

"Juvia's birthday is not something Juvia gets excited for," she confessed quietly, looking to the pile of papers on Lyon's desk. "Juvia doesn't like it when people make a big deal about it."

"Well, I was alerted by my email telling me about employee's birthdays, and I saw your name," Lyon explained, beginning to try and pick up the fallen paper from the carpeted floor. "And, I figured, you wouldn't want me making a huge announcement about your special day, so that's why I called you in."

"Thank you for considering Juvia's birthday, Lyon," Juvia nodded in thanks, yet not entirely happy. "And keeping it a secret."

"Do you have any big plans for your birthday?"

Juvia shrugged lightly. "Juvia only plans to work full time today, like any other day. Juvia's family lives outside of town and she does not wish to burden them. There may be some phone calls tonight for Juvia from them…"

"Well, that won't do, Juvia," Lyon said with a flat tone, making the woman stiffen and look up to his face. "Since you have worked here, I have never seen you take a day off here at E.N.D.. I looked at your working schedule and you even come in on the weekends to take off loads from your co-workers. Don't you ever take a vacation?"

"No, I do not," she confessed. "Juvia enjoys working here. Everyone is nice to Juvia, and Juvia likes to work for the government for the good of the community."

Lyon's face softened, a sweet, understanding smile on his lips. "You're a wonderful person to have here, Juvia, believe me. I enjoy seeing you everyday and working hard, but I don't like the fact that you're _working_ on your birthday. It doesn't settle with me."

"Juvia apologizes if she displeased Lyo-!"

He held up a hand, making her go quiet as he used his other hand to open on of his desk drawers. He pulled out a tiny wrapped box, the color of pink and a red ribbon tied at the top, Lyon held it out to her to take. Once she carefully took the wrapped item with both hands, Lyon spoke.

"I want you to take the rest of the day off, Juvia," Lyon said. "As your boss, I am instructing you to enjoy some alone-time to yourself at home. Don't worry about any work for the rest of the day, and you can come back tomorrow."

"B-but-!"

"Boss's orders, Juvia," Lyon winked at her, causing her to bit her lip. "Open that when you get home, okay? It's a surprise. Don't disappoint me now, the next train leaves in a half hour…"

Unable to reject his orders, Juvia could only nod and stand from the chair. "Thank you very much, Lyon…" she mumbled with a shy smile, but she knew that it was fake on the inside. "Juvia will just get her things and make the next train."

"I'll be calling security in a bit to make sure you checked out," Lyon teased and waved a soft goodbye to Juvia as she left the office, closing the door behind her.

It took her only five minutes to collect her things into her satchel, shutting down her computer and saving any files she has yet to go over and locked her office. Taking the elevator down, Juvia entered the large, cool colored and tiled lobby and went to the desk to sign out, where the security guard grinned. It was like he knew about Lyon's plans before Juvia did.

"You have a wonderful day to yourself, Miss Juvia," he tipped his hat to her, which she politely thanked him and walked out of the glass doors and into the sunshine.

=xxx=

Unlocking the door to her penthouse apartment and flipping on the main room's light, Juvia was silent as she closed and locked her door once more and set the keys of the dresser stand beside her. The familiar dark brown floors and equally dark brown walls gave off a soft glow from the light, warming Juvia's face as she began to undress herself from her black sweater. Walking further into the main room, Juvia disposed her purse on to her cream-colored couch and tossed her black sweater along with it.

The train ride home with a little odd for Juvia, since she was used to going into the transportation very early in the morning to the very late of night. Much to her work's displeasure, Juvia is the kind of woman who worked overtime with no request of payment, as if she was hiding herself from time itself. Being in a train where there were more people inside made Juvia feel a bit paranoid, making her whole travel home very uncomfortable.

Clad now in her white, strapless dress, the birthday girl strolled into her connected kitchen and pulled out a bottle of wine from her cabinet. Popping it open, she didn't bother to fetch a glass as she threw her head and bottle back to practically inhale the alcohol.

After a few large gulps, Juvia exhaled loudly with flushed cheeks and licked her lips tiredly. "Cana-nee would be proud," Juvia whispered quietly to herself. Reading the bottle of wine as she returned to her couch, Juvia sat next to her purse and continued to sip from the bottle as she dug out the tiny box Lyon had given her, looking at it before setting the wine on the little coffee table infront of her.

Juvia had always considered Lyon a wonderful boss. He wasn't too harsh on his employees, yet he knew when worked needed to be done. His personality was stern, but also gentle when Juvia arrives into the room. All this she was aware of, and not even her co-workers open gossip to her about how Lyon wants to ask her out on a date would be a surprise to her. However, Lyon seemed to have a great respect to Juvia's relationship status and her opinions on dating, and she was more grateful at his gentlemanly manners.

Undoing the silky red ribbon, Juvia carefully opened the pink-colored box and noticed a shiny content within the small box. With delicate hold, Juvia pulled out a golden-colored butterfly pin for her hair. Blinking, Juvia observed the butterfly-pin thoroughly before seeing a little folded paper still inside the box.

Pulling it out, Juvia read the little message of _Happy Birthday, Juvia. From, Lyon _written in neat handwriting. This made Juvia smile at the memory, probably a few weeks ago, when she openly complained about how her long, blue hair was distracting her and falling into her eyes to other female co-workers. They suggested that Juvia pulled all her hair up into a ponytail, which Juvia denied and claimed that she's self conscious about her face being revealed too much. Her co-workers were polite and understood her issue of her long bangs, yet they gave up on advice when Lyon entered the break room and saw Juvia tugging on her hair with sadness. The whole conversation was dropped and Juvia thought nothing of it afterwards.

"Such a pretty pin," Juvia spoke out loud again, a cute smile stretching on her lips. "I must thank Lyon tomorrow for the gift." Settling the pin back into the box and picking up her bottle of wine, Juvian stood and made her way to the bathroom, hoping to wash away her sore back and drown her headache in alcohol.

=xxx=

"_Happy birthday, Juvia-chan!"_

"_Juvia, it's your birthday!"_

"_What flavor of cake would you like?"_

_Juvia could remember when she was super happy for her birthday, being back where she felt belonged for once in her life. She could remember all the girls crowding around her, surprising the young girl by the fact that they actually cared for her birthday. Her blue hair in tight rolls at the end; big, deep but eyes blinking in confusion at the sudden attention; lips pouting and shoulders hunched, Juvia was the most shyest girl out of the others._

_But that didn't mean she was happy about her friend - No, her family, remembered her birthday._

"_Ju-vi-a-chan!" a blonde girl with brown eyes, Lucy Heartfilia, poked the said girl's cheeks with each syllable. Juvia pouted and looked to Lucy. "What's your favorite flavor for cake? Mirajane-nee is gonna make it for you, and I get to decorate it!"_

_Juvia blinked and blushed deeply as she hugged the thick book tighter to her. "J-Juvia likes...chocolate cake," she said in a whisper, a tiny smile on her lips when Lucy giggled and hugged the birthday girl tightly. "Can Juvia s-share her birthday cake, please?"_

"_Of course. We'll make it big enough even Natsu can get full!" Lisanna, Mirajane's younger sister declared proudly as she scurried off. "Mira-neechan! Juvia says she likes chocolate cake, Mira-neechan! Tell Elfman to pick up fudge, too!"_

_Juvia shivered and hid her face into the hardcover of the book she was holding, the shy smile never leaving her face as she felt Erza and Cana's familiar, warm hands gently pat her head and back for comfort._

"_Are you okay, Juvia? Does your tummy hurt again?" Erza asked in that sweet voice that was really reserved for the other little girls in the home. "The bruise still doesn't hurt, does it?"_

"_Juvia is okay, Erza-nee," she answered shyly even when Cana forced her to lay her head on her lap. "Juvia is just...very happy to spend her birthday with everyone. Everyone is nice to Juvia."_

"_We love Juvia-chan!" Lucy said with pride. "Juvia-chan is part of our family, so we-! Natsu! Don't chew on the plants, you idiot! Master Makarov is going to yell at you again!"_

"_Ne, ne, Lucy! It tastes like plastic," Juvia recognized the voice of her other friend, Natsu, with a full mouth of the fake plants that decorate the main room where all the children liked to play. Juvia opened her eyes and watched as Lucy tackle Natsu and drag him away from the poor plant, making the blue-haired child smile even bigger._

_Cana gently continued to pat Juvia's head. "Does the bruise still hurt, Juvia?" she asked worriedly. When Juvia shook her head and snuggled her face deeper into her lap, Cana sighed of relief. "Are you sure you don't want to go to town with us? You can hang out with me and Erza, if you want."_

"_No, Juvia is okay. Juvia will clean her room instead, so we can play in there."_

_Erza smiled and pulled Juvia up, snuggling her cheek on top of the child's head. "You're a good kid, Juvia. We'll be home in time for your birthday cake, okay? We'll see you soon."_

_Juvia nodded, still hugging the book to her chest as she stood up and allowed Cana and Erza to round up the rest of the children to get ready for their trip to town. The place where Juvia was saved by - _

Opening her eyes, Juvia breathed in the warm liquid if water into her lungs, as if taking a breathe a fresh air and exhaled slowly. Her tub was large and could probably fit four more people into it, yet here she was at the bottom of the tiny pool to look to the top and see soapy bubbles covering her from the outside world. Sitting up and getting her head above water, Juvia inspected the remaining bubbles to guess how long she was asleep for.

Looking to the clock by the mirror and sink, Juvia counted that she fell asleep underwater for about thirty minutes. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she became frustrated by the lack of bubbles that popped during her nap.

Raising her hands out of the water, Juvia breathed slowly and raised her hands above her head with each breath. Clenching her fists, Juvia conjured bubbles to rise from the tub and into the air. The water slowly began to flourish once more with scented bubbles and foam just as it was when Juvia first entered the bath. For extra measure, Juvia brought her hands back to her and wiggled her fingers, causing strings of water to rise from the bath as well.

Laying back against the tub, Juvia reached over and grabbed her wine bottle, only to see that the contents were no longer there, but inside her belly. Pouting, Juvia let the bottle drop and float boringly above the water and in the bubbles and turned her attention to the floating streams of water above her head.

The ringing of her phone interrupted the show, making the bubbles in the air and the water popped and sprinkled back into the tub (some splashed over the rims, but not too much). Blinking, Juvia looked to the homeline and picked it up, not bothering to see the Caller ID.

She had a few guesses who it could be.

"Juvia-chan!" Lucy's voice forced a smile on the woman's lips. "I didn't think you were going to answer. What are you doing home? I thought you had work today."

"Juvia was sent home because of her birthday," she replied with a half-laugh. "Juvia's boss said that she needed to enjoy time to herself."

"Aww, that's so nice," Lucy cooed sweetly. "Anyway, since I can't leave a message now, I wanted to say 'happy birthday, Ju-vi-a-chan'! Natsu is still at work, but he wishes the same, and guess who wants to say 'hello'?"

"_Ohh_?" Juvia played along when she heard the other line rustle a bit to a cheery, childish and hyper voice erupting out of the speaker.

"Aunt Juviaaa!" a gushing shrill made the woman's heart skip a beat with joy. "It's Wendyyy! Happy birthday, Aunt Juviaaa!"

"Thank you, Wendy," Juvia smiled. "Is Wendy being a good girl for Lucy-chan and Natsu?"

"Yeah, I promise," Wendy chirped. "Hey, Aunt Juvia? I asked both Mama and Papa if it was okay, and they said yes. Will Aunt Juvia come visit soon, so we can see you? I miss you a lot!"

Juvia bit her lip, looking at her foot as she lifted it out of the water, a large bubble balanced on her toes. "Do you think the summer will be okay for Juvia to come over? Wendy won't be in school, and then Juvia can take spend all day with you!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Wendy practically screamed before her voice faded off, making Juvia blink until Lucy's voice came back on, explaining that Wendy took off out of the room to find a place for Juvia to sleep.

Juvia couldn't help but laugh until tears fell out of her eyes.

.

.

.

=xxx=

AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE - Leave me to sleep for 84 years *plays Titanic theme*


	2. Chapter 2

*making fart noises* Enjoy babehz. Please feel free to Review, Follow, Favorite or do nothing at all. Be happy and have a good day!

=xxx=

.

.

.

Sleeping Beauty

Silk pajamas always made Juvia feel more comfortable.

A Christmas present from Erza a few years ago, it was a baby-blue color and a violet printing of tiny stars decorating over it. It naturally exposes Juvia's belly, as it was on purpose from Erza, who claimed that her friend needed some seductive outfits (although this really isn't all that lingerie-looking). All of Juvia's girl friends thought of Juvia's belly as an attractive feature of her body.

However, when Juvia put it on and felt the relief of a silky texture on her skin, she kept it more to herself than to share it with anyone else.

Curled in her large bed with the TV on for background noise, Juvia was snugged in her sleeping-wear, a mirror in her hand and the butterfly-pin in her other, she tried to place the pin somewhere in her long hair. Playing around with what kind of styles she could conjure up, long, blue strands placed in numerous spots on her head. Juvia was surprised at how much the pin helped, being able to keep her hair out of her face, yet not reveal too much - it was perfect for Juvia's face.

Once she decided what hairstyle she planned to wear tomorrow to show Lyon that she appreciated the gift, Juvia slipped out the butterfly-pin and set the mirror on her nightstand. Turning her attention to the TV, Juvia watched the late-night news report on the sudden arrest of a group of Mages found in a private pub downtown.

"_The four Mages started a brawl inside the pub, evidently intoxicated, and used illegal measures of violence, injuring two Humans and one other Mage who was not part of the fight," _the reporter stated emotionlessly, showing images of the arrest and ambulance at the scene. Juvia has never been to the pub, but she has seen it on some errands she would do once in a while. The Mages, however, look unfamiliar to her. "_The Mages will be held in confinement overnight to sleep off the alcohol, the morning will have them questioned by law enforcement."_

Juvia's mouth settled to a frown, wondering what could have caused such a mess. Although she is more concerned for the injured people that were harmed, hoping that there are no serious wounds or health concerns for the innocent victims.

Looking to her nightstand, she noticed her photo album in the small collection of books she owned. Unconsciously picking up the album, Juvia flipped through the first few pages and hummed brightly at the pictures of her back home.

One photo was when she first arrived to the home called Fairy Tail School for the Gifted, at the young age of seven, with the home's housemaster right beside her. The photo was taken when the housemaster, Makarov Dreyar, picked her up at the station with an assistant named Reebus, camera ready. It was raining hard that day, Juvia remembered, yet Makarov was as bright as the sunniest day of summer when he found Juvia standing patiently by the fountain.

"_Miss Lockser, I presume?" the short, old man said with a cheeky grin, making Juvia stiffen at his sudden friendly greeting. Noticing this, the elderly gasped and waved both hands when the small girl began to tip-toe away. "Ohh, no, no! It's quite alright, Miss Lockser, I'm not here to hurt you."_

_Juvia, on the other hand, peeked at him, her dark blue eyes wide and full of tears. Makarov frowned at this and took a look at the fountain sprouting water from the inside on the train station. "Do you like this fountain, Miss Lockser? It's a wishing fountain, you know."_

_Juvia still kept silent, yet the grip on her pink umbrella loosened a little from the interest of the wishing well. "I have noticed that it has been raining quite hard since I was told of your arrival, Miss Lockser. Is it true that you are a Mage of water, like your father? Your mother's parents were also water Mages, yes?"_

_Juvia sniffled and nodded, making Makarov smile a bit bigger. "I have heard of your parents. Very wonderful people, who enjoyed helping preserve the history of Mage and Humans. They helped a lot of Humans and Mages alike. I bet you're the same, no? Do you like helping people?"_

_Her lip quivered. "J-Juvia...wants to be g-good and help," she whispered, only the old man can hear her soft voice. "But...Juvia does not know h-how. Juvia told she was bad...by police."_

"_Hmm," Makarov hummed, hands digging into the pockets of his raincoat. "Well, if Miss Lockser would allow me to speak out loud, I think Juvia is a very good person. I think, Miss Lockser, that Juvia just needs practice with her abilities."_

"_B-but everytime Juvia is sad," she pointed to the opening of the station, "Juvia makes it rain. Juvia's mommy and daddy are gone, so Juvia is very, very sad…"_

"_It's okay to be sad, Miss Lockser," Makarov said, pulling his hand out of his pocket, obtaining two coins in his palm. "I think I'll make a wish on this fountain, and I'll have you know that it works."_

_Juvia blinked and finally looked up to Makarov, surprised at how he's not that much taller than she is. His whiskered face seem to curl with a smile as he closed his eyes. "I wish for Miss Lockser to believe in herself, and that she is not a bad person. I wish that Miss Lockser will trust that I will take care of her and make her a good person."_

_Flicking his thumb, one of the coins flew into the air, and Juvia watched with wonder as the coin dropped into the fountain's pool. A glow seem to spark on the coin, until it reached the bottom. "The coin...it sparkled," she pointed to the pool of water, looking between the water and Makarov._

"_Would Miss Lockser like to make a wish, too?" Makarov asked, holding out the last coin to the young child. He was still, letting Juvia take her time as her tiny fingers picked the coin and look to the fountain. "Tell the fountain what your wish is, and it will make it come true with time."_

_Juvia closed her eyes for a moment, her single grip on the umbrella tightened. "J-Juvia wishes...to be a good Mage, and help people like Mommy and Daddy. Juvia wishes to be happy once more, so the rain will stop." Like a normal child, her little hand wound back and tossed the shiny coin to the fountain. She sniffled to hold back tears when the coin fell to the water, and she turned to Makarov._

_The old man smiled to her, his eyes sparkling as Juvia hiccuped a sob and rubbed her eyes. Holding out an old, wrinkled hand, Makarov held out an offering to the young child. "Miss Lockser, may we have a photo taken? I do this with all of my new students."_

_Juvia grasped Makarov's fingers and nodded, making the old man chuckle. "Don't worry about the tears, Miss Lockser. Most of the photos I take the first time with student have tears."_

The photo shows Juvia when she first arrived to the station, only a few inches shorter than Makarov. Her eyes shedding tears and cheeks puffed to try and look normal. Her little blue dress she arrived in and the pink umbrella clutched in her hand made it feel as if it was just yesterday. Makarov looked jolly and happy as usual, making Juvia chuckle at how much she missed her headmaster…

Juvia had a sudden thought of calling her old teacher, but, looking at the time it is now, he is probably busy resting after a hard day of...being Makarov. From the last she heard from him was a postcard from a well-known casino and a message saying '_I wish you were all here, kids! Spending the spring here! Be safe and I will be sure to send you gifts.' _Juvia wondered if he himself was being safe and healthy. She remembered how he could get very **playful **when he has so much freedom.

Looking at the next picture, which was taken not long after the first, was of Juvia in the town. Once a week, the members of the Fairy Tail home would take a trip to the town, where shops and vendors and playgrounds were open for the kids to go play in. There was a shop, though, that Juvia would look at the display window with great interest to a particular object.

"'_Teru teru bozu'?" Juvia spoke out loud, reading the sign that was above the ghost-looking doll with a smiling face. Lucy, who was walking with Juvia with a blue umbrella, stopped when her companion spoke and followed her gaze._

"_Mm?" Lucy perked and smiled. "Yeah, they are suppose to give good weather, but they make the cutest dolls, too!" _

"_Oh…" Juvia sighed and looked down to her rainboots. _

_Lucy smiled at Juvia and tugged her hand. "It's okay, Juvia-chan," she comforted. "It's been super dry here and we need the rain. I actually like the rain, you can play in the puddles and catch raindrops on your tongue."_

"_WOOOOO!" a loud, shrilling voice echoed across the street, causing the two girls to turn around and see Natsu, a pink-haired boy around their age sliding across a puddle of water, splashing the other children walking on the sidewalk. Juvia blinked in shock, a little hand covering her mouth from gasping, all while Lucy reddened in the face with anger._

"_NATSU! WHAT DID MASTER MAKAROV SAY ABOUT SPLASHING!" Lucy yelled as she excused herself from Juvia's side, leaving the girl to turn back around and continue to admire the dolls smiling down at her._

_She tried her best to ignore the dark-haired boy, who got wet by Natsu's slide and cursed at him. She only sees that boy at dinner, really, since she is too nervous to leave her bedroom during the day… But, everytime she sees him, when she wanders around at night, he takes notice of her, too._

Flipping over a few more pages, Juvia did her best to ignore the photos with **his face **in them. However, the faster she flipped through, one photograph slipped from its hold and fell to the wooden floor, causing Juvia to slam the album shut suddenly.

"Oh no," Juvia whispered as she slipped down to pick up the fallen photo, holding back a sob as she recognized the picture in an instant.

Juvia at the age of seventeen, smiling brightly as the sunshine practically made her glow with joy. She wore a bikini, picked out by Lucy herself, and a large dress shirt that was definitely not hers. Her childhood curls were erased and left with thick waves that rivaled the ocean; a natural blush adoring her cheeks and wearing lipgloss. Happiness was on her face and love was in her eyes in this moment, Juvia remembered. Strong, muscular arms were around her, holding her in a protective yet gentle manner as she sat on his lap and offered the photographer the peace sign with her free hands. Him, on the other hand, was a head of dark hair, tanned skin and piercing black eyes that always made her blush; strong body and some scars adoring his torso and one of his forehead that she always loved to kiss tenderly…

"Gray-sama…" Juvia finally caved, tears slipping from her eyes as she held the photograph to her chest and sat on the floor. Shutting her eyes, Juvia rest her head on her knees.

=xxx=

"_You're the new girl."_

_Juvia was alone in the library, or so she thought she was, hugging the thick bound book as close as possible to her heart. Blinking, Juvis looked up to see a boy around her age, maybe a year older than her? Dressed in only plaid-pajamas with no slippers, Juvia thought of him as underdressed, compared to her long-sleeved nightgown and a ribbon holding most of her hair up (thanks to Levy, who said she looked too cute to not wear it to bed)._

_Juvia flushed bright red and curled into a tighter ball in her little corner. It was her second night here and the second night of constant rain she has caused since arriving. She hoped that her silence would let the boy go away._

"_My name is Gray. I haven't seen you, but Lucy and Erza talk about you at breakfast," he continued on. Juvia still didn't answer, trying to hide her face in the book. "Your name is Juvia, right? Gramps told us you are very shy, and might not talk for a while."_

_Juvia noticed Gray crouching down by her, trying to get a look at her face. "What are you holding? Can I see?"_

"_W-why are you awake?" Juvia whispered quietly, trying to shrink further back and away from Gray. "Everyone but J-Juvia is asleep."_

"_It's too hot in my room. I share it with that frickin' fire-ass Natsu, and he always keeps the heat on in his sleep. He doesn't know how to control his fire," Gray grouched and sneered out the window, seeing the rain pouring against the window. "I saw the door open, and I saw you in here… What's the book you're holding?"_

_Juvia slowly moved to show Gray the cover of the book, keeping her head down. She really didn't want anyone to see her face, since it looked so gloomy when she peeked into a mirror. She gently held out the book for him to take, which he did and made a noise in the back of his throat._

"'_Sleeping Beauty'?" he read outloud. "Why do you hold have this book anyway?"_

_Juvia frowned deeper, hiding her face in her knees. "J-Juvia's mommy and daddy read it to her before bed… Juvia's favorite story."_

_Gray pursed his lips. "Huh. I guess that makes sense," he shrugged and offered the book back to her, which she took back and hugged again in a matter of a second. He still didn't leave, and kept sitting with her. "You miss your parents?"_

_When she didn't answer, Gray assumed her answer. "Yeah, I haven't seen my dad for a while, but it's really nice to be here. He visits when he can, but I like it here better."_

"_Everyone is nice…"_

_Gray nodded, looking behind himself to the stacks of books and magazines. He was beginning to look bored, hanging around here with her, and it bothered Juvia greatly. Gray began tapping his fingers to his knees out of the silence, and whistling lowly, making the blue-haired child shake with anger._

"_Gray does not have to stay with Juvia, if he doesn't want to," she finally spoke, thunder starting outside in her frustration. "Gray does not need to feel pity for Juvia! Juvia doesn't need Gray to make noises of boredom, jerk!"_

"_I'm not," Gray snapped back, but then quickly froze when he noticed Juvia's tears dropping to the cover of Sleeping Beauty, watching as the girl tried to wipe them away with the sleeve of her nightgown hastily, but only more dropped after. "Hey, stop crying, okay? I didn't mean to come off as a jerk. I don't feel pity for you, okay? I just thought you were lonely, is all."_

_The tears kept falling, and Gray began to run out of options to stop the girl from crying harder. Despite his panic, Gray was calm to exhale and admit defeat to reasoning with her. He reached over and wrapped an arm around Juvia's shaking body and pulled her into a hug. She instantly stopped on the spot by being hugged by someone._

"_Heh," Gray let out an amused breath, but very gentle. His other arm came around her and pulled the rest of her body to his side for better angle. "I guess you haven't been hugged in a while, huh? I'm sorry, okay? Just don't cry anymore."_

_Juvia could only nod in response, and slowly fell asleep for the first time in a long while._

Opening her eyes to the early morning song of birds, Juvia whimpered at the bright light burning her sight. Swallowing, Juvia forced herself to sit up on her floor and wake up from her uncomfortable sleep. She hadn't expected to fall asleep right beside her bed, yet somehow she must have forgotten to crawl back into bed after shedding a few unwanted tears.

"Juvia drank too much," she complained openly and rubbed her eyes and stood up, wobbling a little bit from the sudden spin of the room. Blinking a few times to regain her sight, Juvia completely forgot the photograph that slipped from her fingers during her slumber and slid under her bed.

Walking over to her closet, Juvia proceeded to pull out clean clothes; a sweater dress that hung to her ankles and matched the color of her eyes and high heeled boots. Stripping down to her underwear, Juvia took a moment to look at the blue-colored tattoo inked on her upper-left tight, feeling glad that her work clothes were able to hide the reality from her boss and co-workers. Specific tattoos, such as the one on Juvia's thigh, were a bad omen to Mages and making them easier to spot out for Humans and law enforcement.

Remembering that made Juvia dress herself quickly to be ready for work.

Arranging her wavy hair with the butterfly-pin, Juvia looked overself over once more and flipped her long hair past her shoulders while looking in the mirror. Taking a peek outside her large window, she noticed the sky had some dark clouds hovering in clumps. Blinking, Juvia went to the window and pressed her palms against the glass.

"_Okay, so now Wendy is arranging her stuffed animals for you," _Lucy's voice could be singing in her mind. The phone call last night went on for a while, and it made Juvia feel so much better. "_You know she still sleeps with the plushie you made for her birthday last year? She loves that thing sooo much. Remember, you still have to make me one, too."_

"_Mama!" _Wendy's voice could be heard in the distance. "_Mama! I can't reach the top shelf, please help me! Happy and Carla are napping!"_

Juvia smiled and exhaled, closing her eyes when the sun finally peeked out and the dark, rain-coming clouds began to disappear. She was too focused on sadness before falling to sleep, and it became evident in the sky when she woke up.

"Juvia needs to be careful," she reminded herself with a smile. She had yesterday to herself to think of the bad, sleep it off, and recollect herself to go back to work the next morning. The call from Lucy and her growing family did enough to cheer her up, and she was very much happy about the butterfly-pin taming her bangs from her face.

Juvia is happy.

Grabbing an apple and a muffin from her kitchen, Juvia hurried out of her penthouse and locked the door, completely forgetting that she had left the TV on the news from last night, replaying with an update that even the victim Mage was interrogated as well, believing that he was part of the brawl after all.

=xxx=

She was not expecting to see the police cars, shattered glass, scattered rocks and burn marks on the cement when she approached her company's luxurious building.

A crowd of press and bystanders crowded by the entrance of the building, much to Juvia's curiosity as she approached the door that wasn't blocked by too many people. Flashing lights of cameras and policemen shouting for the crowd to back away, it was a little bit difficult for her to figure out what was going on as she squeezed her way into the bodies of people. All she wanted to do was slip past them and get to her office-!

A tight grip on her upper arm stopped her from going under the 'Do Not Cross' ribbon, making Juvia wince at the tight hold.

"_Juvin!" _she squealed in slight pain, looking up to see a police officer staring down at her.

"No trespassers, ma'am," he told her with an authoritative sneer. "This is a crime scene."

"But Juvia works here!" she huffed, stomping her heel on the ground. "Juvia wants only to go to work, or she will be late. Juvia doesn't like being late to work!"

"I will need to see some ID, ma'am," he instructed and held out his hand to receive the card. The blue-haired woman puffed her cheeks, but did as she was told and reached into her purse to pull out her wallet.

"What happened?" she asked as she clipped it open. Pulling out her ID, she placed it into the large palm of the policeman's hand. "Please, tell Juvia wh-!"

"Wait here for a minute, ma'am." He walked away from her, leaving Juvia to splutter curses at being ignored when she is counting down the time to check in.

Looking to the building, Juvia saw a large hole in the glass, cracks creating a spider web-like design up and around the large hole. It was like a boulder ran through the wall, and inside was no less cleaner; shards of glass, rubble of rocks and cops inspecting every inch of the seen, and a sheet was covered over a mass of…

Juvia's hands covered her mouth to hold back the scream of the dead body lying underneath the white sheet. She saw the familiar cap of the security guard placed on top of his still body, making tears shed in shock. The tips of his fingers stuck out just a little bit, his once-normal skin looked burned with boil-spots on the back of his hand.

Juvia heard the cop talk on the radio a few feet away from her. "The ID passes her as Human, chief. Name is Juvia Lockser, sir."

"Juvia!" Lyon's familiar voice yelled from inside the building, making Juvia stiffen as a few tears slipped from her eyes. She tried to keep her breathing regulated as she felt the first few drops of rain dropping on her head. "Hey, Juvia!"

"How come it's raining now?" she heard a reporter complain.

"It looked gloomy this morning, you know. I told you to bring an umbrella!"

Shutting her eyes, Juvia pushed her emotions aside and stopped the rain before it poured. A hand grasped her wrist and tugged for her attention. "Juvia," Lyon's voice whispered into her ear. "You didn't see the body, did you? Come on, open your eyes."

She didn't want to, but she opened them anyway. "Mister Vastia, what happened? Juvia is confused, and no one will tell Juvia!"

"There was an attack last night," Lyon said, worry written in his eyes. "A group of Mages came to the building after most of us left. I wasn't here, but they tried to break in to-!"

"Did the guard get hurt..?" Juvia whimpered out, interrupting Lyon, allowing him to wrap an arm around her when the cop returned with her card.

"Was this employee working yesterday?" the cop asked Lyon, who stood straight and serious when the cop handed Juvia her ID back. "The systems say that she checked out earlier than usual."

"I sent her home early. The security guard who died called me at noon to tell me she officially checked out, as I asked."

"It seems that my boss wants me to question the lady, since her office was the only one broken in to," the cop said bluntly, not having any of Lyon any longer. "Since her ID checks her as Human, we just want to make sure-"

"_Juvia's office was broken into?" _Juvia practically screamed in horror, holding her face with both hands. She didn't care that the press turned their heads when she yelled.

"Your office is the _only one_ that was broken into, and it was obvious that the Mages who committed the crime targeted your space and no one else," the cop when on. "Please, follow me, ma'am, and we can get this over as soon as possible."

Juvia took a few shaking steps after the cop, entering under the police tape and through the propped door that wasn't damaged from cracks. It was odd for Juvia, entering the building she has come to every day for the past two years… It was different, like it wasn't the same workplace that welcomed her before. Now, it seemed silent and rejecting to her.

Some of the co-workers were watching from the window-walls from the third-floor up that faced the lobby. Some were watching the investigation take place, others were sipping their coffee and had tears in their eyes and a few saw Lyon's arm wrapped around a shaking Juvia as she followed the cop to the elevator.

Holding her sweater skirt, Juvia couldn't stop her shivering shoulders. Even though Lyon's hold on her was comforting enough, she couldn't get the image of the security guard's body laying on the ground. She refused to look that way after seeing it, but it was still in her thoughts. The very thought of him possibly suffered his last breath made her heart clench in pain.

"Most of the damage is in the lobby of your company," the cop went on to explain to Lyon, probably thinking that the only woman present has drowned out any outside noises of her thoughts. "We will write a report of the broken window and doors. There is also some sort of damage to the walls going to the top floor. They seem to have used speeding magic instead of the elevators."

"Well, yeah," Lyon scoffed. "If they're still working, that proves it."

"Sir, I'm just telling you what will be on the repo-!"

"And E.N.D. deals with cases such as these on a daily basis! Property damage, physical injuries and any other Mage crimes are no shocking matter to us," Lyon snapped, carefully pulling Juvia closer to his side, as well as keeping her farther away from the cop. "You can stop talking with my employee here, got it?"

"I apologize, sir," the cop muttered. The rest of the ride was in utter silence until the 'ding!' of the elevator opening up for the three to come out.

Slipping from Lyon's hold, Juvia hurried ahead, shoving any detectives who tried to keep her out of the scene. She ignored Lyon and the co-workers trying to make her slow down as she turned the corner to where her office would be locked, just as she left it…

Instead was welcomed by forced entry, ice completely covering her personal quarters.

.

.

.

=xxx=

AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE- Helloooooo and goodbyeeeee.


	3. Chapter 3

*making more fart noises* Aye babes.

Remember to Review, Follow, Favorite or do none of the abooove! Stay beautiful and have a wonderful day, my glorious readers.

=xxx=

.

.

.

Sleeping Beauty

"If I may continue, before I was interrupted," the cop's voice made Juvia flinch. "Evidence in the trail from the entrance was combined from speed magic, and the victim's body was burned, yet no records show familiar patterns of the burns from the system. We suspect that the Mages are illegal, and have matched previous cases in the last few years - all cold cases. The ice, however, that is new to us. We haven't seen this strong of ice before."

Juvia took a step inside the remaining space of her office door. It was colder than winter to her, and she didn't hesitate to hug herself and rub her arms to create friction and keep herself warm. Frost and ice covered every inch of the office, nearly slipping on the icy floor until regaining balance quickly. She instantly noticed, grasping her spinning chair, that it was frozen to its place.

Her computer was smashed and stabbed by sharp-pointed icicles. Wires and even computer chips could be seen inside the frozen water that was as sharp as a knife. Juvia frowned deeper as she turned her head and saw that her shelf filled with political and investigation textbooks were in a giant block of ice, literally. The ceiling. The windows that looked out to the city. The tiny little plant that was given to her when she first arrived…

All covered in ice.

"If you are able to find patterns that go with cold cases, why don't you bring them up and try to decipher who did this?" Lyon's voice was harsh. Juvia looked to see her boss's arms crossed, and a seriously pissed-off look on his face. "E.N.D does not have time to lag around so you cops can take your sweet time coming up with theories."

"I just need to ask your employee in there some questions," the cops responded carefully, pulling out a pad. "But, I can start with you first, I suppose. What does Miss Lockser do here for E.N.D.?"

"She's our best profiler for closed cases and accounting Mages into the system," Lyon answered. "She has only worked here for two years, but our company has grown so much with her here."

Juvia sighed and looked to her office again, a sudden catch of her attention stopped her when she rounded her desk and looked down.

A single chunk of ice, designed like a rose flower stuck up beside the remains of her computer, blocked from Lyon and the police's view of the remnants of the screen. Dark blue eyes widening, Juvia's breath hitched in the back of her throat.

Without hesitating, Juvia's small hand hovered over the flower before gripping it tightly. Her blood boiled at the familiar contact of this icy rose, and focused her wish to her chilling hand. Slowly, the ice flower melted against her palm and soaked into her skin, hiding any evidence of Juvia's contamination to the scene of the crime well. Once letting go, it appeared that no such additional decoration was added to the frozen room.

Closing her eyes, Juvia hugged herself once more, but tighter.

"Juvia," Lyon's voice was approaching her, yet she didn't move an inch. His warm, strong arm wrapped around her and pulled her to his side. She didn't return the gesture, but she allowed it. "They would like to ask you a few questions. We can do it in my office, okay?"

"Okay," Juvia said in a tiny, tiny voice. It was like she back at the age of seven once more and dropped off at the station. Yet, this time, along with sadness and tired thoughts, there was anger deep down inside her heart.

=xxx=

"What is your usual schedule like, Miss Lockser?"

"Juvia arrives to work at eight, even though the company doesn't actually open until nine. Juvia is granted special permission from Mister Vastia to take on cases that many can not do," she answered, sitting in the chair while the cop stood in front of her and Lyon was leaning against the door watching. "The cases the co-workers can not handle is because of difficult coding and court decisions. Juvia usually clocks out around nine or ten at night, when the night staff finishes."

"Have you recently or, in the past, have dealt with cases of Mages with speed, fire or ice abilities?" the cop asked next.

"Not of this extent," she replied calmly. "Anything similar to property damage of these elements are from already-convicted Mages and inside prisons."

"Alright, alright," the cop mumbled, making Juvia sniff and begin coughing suddenly. Lyon looked at the blue-haired woman who tried to calm her coughing fit, but her voice became hoarse. "Are you alright, ma'am?"

Juvia tried to swallow. "J-Juvia's...throat is dry," she exhaled dryly. Looking to Lyon, Juvia gave a gentle look. "Can Mister V-Vastia get Juvia water, please..?"

Lyon, in return, offered a warming smile and pushed himself off the door. "Sure, I'll be back in a minute." He let himself out, closing his door and sealing the remaining two alone.

The cop's lip twitched, turning back to Juvia. "Just answer the best that you can, until you get your water-!"

The cop's speech stopped, his eyes widening in shock as a choking sound erupted from his opened mouth. His whole body went fridged, legs and shoulders tensing as his neck and fingers twitched, dropping the pen and pad of paper to the floor. He looked to be struggling for breath and out of his own control for his body to drop on the ground himself.

Juvia still remained in her seat, her hand raised just a little bit to the cop's jerking body. "Juvia knows that the Human brain contains mostly of water, which is a good thing for Juvia," she said with a little smile, her head tilting to the side. "Juvia learned that she can influence the mind, if she really wanted to."

The cop didn't respond, a gurgling rumble in the back of his throat. Until Juvia flexed her finger, his upper body bent forward, as if bowing to Juvia. "Tell Juvia what the next question is, please."

Robotically, the cop grabbed the pen and paper, standing up straighter than needed, stiff, and began speaking in an emotionless tone. "Do you have any relations to any Mages, convicted or not, family or acquaintances."

"You will write," she began, "that Juvia's family is all Human, and she has no relations to any Mages of the sort. Juvia works in a Mage-free environment, and lives without any contact with Mages that she is aware."

The cop obediently wrote the answer down. "The next question is about in regard of why your office was broken into only," he shivered when Juvia's hand clenched for a moment, but soon regained her previous posture.

"Juvia has no idea," she lied, and the policeman wrote the answer down. "Juvia is completely innocent in this whole ordeal, and has no suspicious behavior that the cop can detect."

As the cop wrote it all down in his handwriting and speech, Juvia could hear Lyon's voice on the other side of the door. "Any other questions you have for Juvia, it does not tie up with Juvia's truthful answers or alibi."

"Yes, ma'am," the cop agreed robotically, allowing Juvia's flexed finger to flip upward, making the cop stand straight as he was before and relax. It didn't take long for the cop to wake up from Juvia's hypnosis. When Lyon opened the door, the cop blinked and went back to his attention to the paper. "Well, it looks like I got what I needed. Sorry that we had to do this, Miss Lockser, but you know how it goes."

Juvia sniffed tiredly when Lyon entered and went straight to Juvia with a small, paper cup of water. Once handing it to the shivering woman, Lyon rest his hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay, Juvia? He wasn't too hard on you, was he?"

Juvia took little sips of her water before answering, clearing her throat. "Juvia is okay," she sighed and rubbed under her eye. "It's just a little too much for Juvia…"

The cop flipped his pad closed and pocketed his pen. "I got everything I needed. If it's okay with you, Mister Vastia," he gestured to the silver-haired man, "may I contact you if I have any more questions or find anything for you?"

"That's fine. Your colleague should already have my office number."

The cop nodded calmly and escorted himself out of the room, leaving Lyon and Juvia in his office. Juvia finished the last of her water and swallowed the cooling liquid thickly, feeling the affects of the manipulation she pulled on the poor man - it can usually take a lot of energy out of her, reason why she never used it too often - and sighed sadly. Lyon's hand tightened on its hold on her little shoulder, making her blink and glance up to see her boss smiling at her.

"I'm just happy you're safe, Juvia," he said with relief in his voice. "If I didn't send you home early yesterday, they could've gotten you in your office. I don't know what I would've done if that happened to you."

"Juvia is safe," she said confidently. "Lyon does not have to worry about Juvia! It's okay!"

"I know," Lyon sighed with a half smile. He watched her carefully as she got up from the chair and cautiously fixed her long skirt.

Juvia threw away the paper cup politely before looking to her boss. "May Juvia borrow a computer, so she may work?"

A weak laugh escaped from the man's mouth, rubbing a hand to the back of his head and scratching it lightly. "You never know when you quit, do you, Juvia? Wouldn't a normal person ask for the rest of the day off, after being interrogated by the cops so suddenly?"

"Juvia took the day off _yesterday!_" she puffed her cheeks cutely, making Lyon blink and suddenly flush at her behavior. "Juvia needs to go back to work, so Juvia can get work done."

Lyon's eye twitched, the blush deepening on his cheeks. He looked away and huffed. "You work too much. Even after all that has happened, you won't even lean on my shoulder or take a day off for anything. What am I going to do with you, Juvia…"

"Lyon can give Juvia work to do!" Juvia perked with a bright smile.

Lyon groaned and bonked his head to the wall closest to him.

"Can Juvia possibly help with preparations for the event?" she suggested, noticing Lyon grumbling under his breath. Clasping her hands together hopefully, Juvia's eyes sparkled. "Last I heard, Lyon only needs the buffet and drinks ready - Juvia knows a great food corporation that serves wonderful meals!"

"Ugh, I almost forgot about the event," Lyon groaned. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Lyon began mumbling under his breath again. "I don't even know where to begin looking at this time. I should have-."

"Hello, this is Juvia, and I work for the E.N.D., and I would like to know if you can cater to our event this weekend," Juvia chirped happily on Lyon's phone, catching the man's attention instantly as she proudly sat on his chair and spoke cheerfully on the phone. "We will be serving about eight hundred people, and if you have any servers available, that would be splendid to Juvia… Uh-huh, yes. Thank you! Do you also have beverages..? Ohh, those sound wonderful."

"J-Juvia!" Lyon gaped at the woman, who only continued to speak into the phone.

"Yes, you may send the bill after the event. Yes, it's at the usual hall where we celebrate every year," she grinned and gave a thumbs up to Lyon. "Thank you so much for your service! Please contact Juvia Lockser incase you have any questions, or leave a message to the assistant desk. You have a wonderful day!"

It wasn't until Juvia hung up is when Lyon practically fell to his knees and grinned to her with a red face. "Juvia, I swear," he breathed in relief, "you're an angel sent from Heaven."

It didn't take long for Juvia to recover from the ordeal of her office being broken into. She busied herself in Lyon's office through the rest of the day, just like her normal routine to the late night. Hours and hours took Juvia's attention as she organized Lyon's paperwork, like she used to do when she first started here, and it brought back good memories being the young assistant.

"Are you going to be at the event this weekend, Juvia?" Lyon suddenly asked while the blue-haired woman organized one of the piles of paper he had laying around.

"Juvia goes to the event every year since working here," she replied with a sing-song tune. Arranging a file case perfectly, Juvia pushed it closed. "Juvia already picked out her dress and shoes!"

Lyon chuckled and began closing down his computer. The clock above the room was indicating the time when the working day was over, and he stayed over his normal working schedule to be by Juvia, who only helped organize his messy office. "Are you going with anyone?"

"Juvia is going to the event with the employee's of E.N.D., like every time. Why does Lyon ask?"

"Well, I was thinking we can go together this year." Lyon flinched when Juvia's back straightened and turned around to give him a hard stare. It was rare for Lyon to see Juvia frustrated from him, and it always scared him when he saw it. Waving his hands quick, Lyon shook his head. "Not like that, Juvia! It's not like a date, I swear this time!"

Juvia set the work-in-progress stack on her lap, eyes narrowing boredly. "How does Lyon swear?"

"I'm asking as a _friend, _Juvia," Lyon said. "You always work hard here for E.N.D. at the early morning to night, and I just want to make sure that you have fun at the event."

Juvia blinked a few times before lolling her head around. "Juvia supposes, as long as Juvia and Lyon go as friends." Looking back to Lyon, she offered a smile and nodded. "Juvia would like to go with Lyon to the E.N.D. event!"

Lyon returned the smile. "That's great. I'm excited for the event even more now."

"Juvia is excited, too," she said, turning back to her work.

She was happy.

=xxx=

"**ARE YOU SERIOUS?"**

Juvia plugged her ears while sinking into deeper water. She could understand why Erza and Cana were angry about her response to the news report on the Mage attack on E.N.D., but they really didn't have to scream out of the phone and hurt her little ears. Even on low volume on speaker, both of the women's shrills were as loud as a firetruck…

"Guys, please don't hurt Juvia-chan's ears!" Lucy's voice could be made out behind both of the older womens' yelling. "P-please, guys! She didn't mean it that way!"

"Don't expect me to be _okay_ when I asked her if she needs me to come over, and she responds with '_No Erza-nee, Juvia is fine_'!" Erza's strong voice erupted from the phone sitting beside the large tub. "If a illegal Mage broke in and killed a security guard, she is in danger!"

"Yeah!" Cana growled. Juvia could just imagine her older sister-figures popping out of the phone and yelling at her. "Juvia, you know better than that! What if they were hiding in the building when the cops came? What if they attacked while you were there?"

"J-Juvia would do what the other co-workers do…" Juvia hummed slowly. "There are emergency stairs, and evacuation routes -!"

"Don't use the poor Human excuse with me, young lady!" Erza hissed. "You know that any Mage will find those stairs and trap you! What would you do then?"

"A-ahm…"

"Exactly," the redhead woman confirmed. "You would probably try and protect yourself and everyone using your power, thus blowing your cover! If you made it out alive, you know what happens to Mages who take part in a violence scenario - _Especially infront of your co-workers, after your ID says you're HUMAN!"_

"Erza-nee! Cana-nee!" Lucy practically yelled, shutting both of the women on the other line. Juvia rested her arms on the ledge, resting her cheek against her hands as she looked to the device with a small smile. She really did miss everyone from the Fairy Tail home. "I didn't invite you two into my home to check on Juvia just to have you yell at her! Juvia-chan is a grown woman and can take care of herself. She's been fine pretending to be a Human this long, I'm sure a simple break-in to her work wouldn't bother her!"

"Still, no one, Mage or Human, has never dared to attack E.N.D. before," Cana said. "Juvia, was there anything in particular that was stolen or hacked in to? Were they trying to find something in particular?"

She hadn't told them about her office being broken into, or the fact about the all-too familiar ice that practically consumed her workspace. All the news told was that E.N.D. was attacked, and there was one casualty; everything else was just simple property damage to the lobby and doors. Juvia assumed that Lyon didn't want any other personal information put out into the public, most likely for her sake. She remembers her manipulation on the cop, and that may have given the law enforcement to believe that the office was of no concern.

"Not that I am aware of," Juvia sighed and tightened her hands into fists. Bubbled behind her rose from the bath and floated in the air. "Mister Vastia plans to also add in more security to the grand hall we are renting out."

"You mean that giant castle that used to house a duke?" Lucy awed curiously. "I read about it somewhere, I think. Levy must have shown it to me or something…"

"Most of the building is torn down from wars years ago, Juvia knows from work," she responded with a smile. "The ballroom and parts of the lounging chambers still exist. The ballroom is where the event will take place. If Lucy-chan ever comes to visit Fiore City, Juvia will get her tickets to see it in tour!"

"I could use it for my next novel!" Lucy cheered with happiness.

"I just don't think it's such a good idea, even if security is being pushed to the limits," Cana voiced her concern with a sigh. "If they don't catch the Mages who attacked the company, wouldn't anyone be worried about attending an event funded by E.N.D.?"

Juvia's sister-figure had a point, even if she didn't want to agree. However, Lyon promised his team of hard-working employees that there will be no trouble from outside contact. Since the press will be attending to show, the Mages wouldn't appear unless they want their faces spread across the land as wanted criminals…

"Juvia is not too worried," she finally answered, her wet arm sticking out for her hand to catch a bubble. It didn't pop from her touch, like it would with other people. She balanced it to her fingertip. "Juvia promises that she will be safe, and that nothing bad will happen. Okay, Erza-nee? Cana-nee?"

"She _is_ twenty-six now…" Cana admitted defeat. "Lucy, where's the booze? I need a drink."

"I don't have alcohol here! Natsu and I don't buy those kinds of drink, incase Wendy gets in to them!" Lucy practically cried out. "We're trying to be good parents!"

"Just please call us when you get home safely, Juvia," Erza said with a motherly-tone that was all too familiar to her. "Don't make me come over there and hunt you down myself."

"Juvia will!"

"Good. Now, stop playing with your water and finish your bath," Erza hummed with a smile in her voice, making Juvia flush at the thought of her warm smile.

"And make sure you wave to the camera when it hits your spotlight," Cana instructed. "Wave to me, Erza, Lucy, Levy and Wendy, as well as the other ladies."

"What about the boys, Cana?" Lucy questioned.

"THE BOYS DON'T NEED ATTENTION!"

"Anyway, we're just happy you're safe, Juvia-chan," Lucy pushed Cana's rant off the subject. "Just be careful out there, and don't hesitate to call any of us when you need help."

Saying her goodbyes to the three women, Juvia hung up the phone and leaned against the edge of the tub. Bubbled filled the air now, allowing her to pop every individual sphere one at a time before deciding to rinse and get ready for bed. She was glad that she got a call, hearing the worried and concerned voices and yells from the girls she grew up with, reminding her that she's not as alone as she feels inside this large penthouse apartment.

To be truthful, Juvia figured she was alone in Fiore City without the members of the Fairy Tail home. But, as she knows of right now, she's not the only familiar face in the capital of Fiore.

Somewhere, Juvia knew for certain, that Gray Fullbuster was hiding and looking for her.

.

.

.

=xxx=

AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE- Incase anyone is still confused, which is perfectly okay, Juvia is a Mage yet her ID states she is Human. It's a fake ID and no one in E.N.D. is aware of Juvia's true identity.

I am also aware that Juvia is currently living in Fiore City. In the Fairy Tail manga/anime, Fiore is the name of the 'country' that the story takes place in. I made Fiore still the 'country', but the capital city and E.N.D.'s headquarters take place in the country's capital. I'm still learning about places in Fairy Tail, but it's pretty enjoyable so far.


	4. Chapter 4

-whale noises-

=xxx=

.

.

.

Sleeping Beauty

Juvia stared at herself in the full length mirror in her bedroom, looking particularly at the tattoo inked into the pale, soft skin of her left thigh. Blue coloring in the shape of the insignia that she once wore proudly on her body whenever she received a mission a client, wearing pants that exposed her legs and made it easier for her to run. The many jobs she took with this tattoo, and how she was once called a hero with her family were now just a memory in the back of her head. Any tattoo with specific designs were considered horrible now, and would cause disruption if anyone saw it on her skin.

Frowning, Juvia looked away from the mirror and looked to her dress for the evening. Dark, navy-blue strapped with a black ribbon tied around the waist; the zipper is located in the back, where the ribbon would hide it and expose the rest of her back, and the length of the skirt drops to the floor. After slipping it on, Juvia still had to hold up the draped material to fetch her black heels.

'_I think my hair looks fine,' _Juvia thought, reaching for her butterfly-pin. Sticking it into her thick hair, she was able to pin back enough of her bangs to keep them out of her eyes. Checking herself over, Juvia made sure that everything looked right, as she should be.

Juvia the Human.

Having everything she needed, Juvia stepped out of her home and locked the door. Lyon was waiting outside her penthouse wearing a white suite and a black tie. He was completely surprised to see his employee dressed exquisitely beside him, making Juvia notice when she finished locking her door.

Blinking at him, Juvia tilted her head. "Is Lyon okay?" she asked, fully facing him and practically killed the man at the exposure of cleavage her dress had. When she didn't receive an answer, she tried to make him come to his senses by smiling and pointing to her hair. "See? Juvia very much likes the gift Lyon gave her. Thank you very much for the pin, Lyon."

Lyon chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "I can see it fits you really well, Juvia. You look beautiful."

"Juvia is glad that she fits the occasion," she smiled brighter, taking hold of his arm and began walking to the elevator. "Lyon looks very well tonight, too. The press will want to speak to Lyon, Juvia believes."

Lyon nodded and took over on leading Juvia like a gentleman. "Only difference is that you can take part in the interviews, if you want. I'm sure the reporter will like talking to you - she's very nice, and I'm sure she would like to have a lady to talk to for once, right?"

Juvia giggled and gripped his sleeve tighter in excitement.

=xxx=

There was music playing and cameras flashing once Juvia and Lyon stepped out of their vehicle that was hired to take them to the grand hall near the edge of Fiore City, where a cliff to a ocean stood away, along with the broken chunks of the castle. A remnants of the castle that once housed a duke centuries ago was remodeled and rented out by E.N.D. for every special occasion. The ballroom was the centerpiece of the events, decorated with chandeliers, sleek floors with robes draping the windows like royal curtains. At the other end where the guests enter through large doors is a staircase that leads to the lounging rooms, yet most of those would be unoccupied for tonight.

Juvia's favorite thing about the whole hall was inside.

"Lyon Vastia is here!" a woman's voice shouted among the crowd of lights and flashes once Lyon helped Juvia out of the car. "The head of E.N.D. and maker of tonight's event, Lyon Vastia, has arrived!"

"_Juvin!" _Juvia winced and shield her eyes from the bright lights as she stood straight. Once her eyes adjusted, she could see forms of reporters, film crew and some co-workers heading their way. Not to mention tons of security and police cars in the parking way and on the grass. Cops were lined in guard for the arriving guests, extra equipment could barely be seen strapped to their waists. Down to the gate that seals off trespassers, a crowd of cheering people were on the outside of the gates, and cops stood guard at the other side. E.N.D.'s events were like the red carpet in Fiore City, so seeing this many people attending and watching live was a common thing to Juvia.

To her, everything seemed to be alright. The security was doing their job, and nothing seemed off balance to her.

"Lyon Vastia!" the reporter for the news waved out. A tall, blonde and beautiful woman that no doubt could catch the eyes of men as she walks. Juvia saw how revealing her dress was compared to hers, a deep red color with slits on each side of her legs going up her thighs. It made Juvia's tattoo itch a bit under the material covering her legs.

Juvia held onto Lyon's offered arm as they approached the pathway to the grand hall, only stopping to meet with the reporter. Lyon offered a dashing smile that caused the red-dressed woman to flush for a moment. "Good evening, I was hoping you would make it this year, ma'am," Lyon said smoothly. "You look lovely this evening."

"Ohh, Mister Vastia, you're too kind!" the reporter woman gushed as she waved her cameraman over. Once the underdressed man aimed his camera to the three, he gave a thumbs up to his partner. "Alright, so! Mister Vastia, who do you have with you tonight, hmm? I don't think I've ever seen you with a _date _to any E.N.D. event before!"

"This is my trusted employee and friend, Juvia Lockser," Lyon introduced proudly as he glanced down to Juvia. "You could say she's my right-hand lady at E.N.D."

Juvia offered a polite smile and nodded to the reporter. "Hello," she said softly.

The reporter smiled brightly, bringing the mic closer to Juvia and nudging her face with it. "Miss Lockser, since you're accompanying Mister Vastia tonight, will you be giving any juicy details on what it's like to work for Fiore City's strongest company? Is it difficult to work under a powerful man? Is it true that he gives casual Fridays twice a week? What's his favorite color? Food? How does he like his coffee, hm?"

"A-ah..? Wh-what-?"

"What's his dream vacation? How does he relax after a hard day at work in protecting the world from illegal Mages? Do you know if he wears boxers or briefs?"

"J-Juvia doesn't-!"

"Please, pardon us, ma'am," Lyon stopped the two women before anything were to happen, such as Juvia starting to pass out and catching it all on camera. "My date and I would like to get inside and get some refreshments. You enjoy your night."

"Oh, I will, Mister Vastia!" the reporter cooed when Lyon shook her hand delicately. Flushing, she hid her face behind the mic she was previously pushing into Juvia's face. Waving goodbye to Juvia just as respectively, Juvia responded just as nicely to the reporter and to the cameraman (making sure she kept her promise to her family to wave to them from the TV).

Lyon led Juvia away and closer to the old castle, hearing her exhale. "Juvia doesn't want to be interviewed anymore, please!" she huffed. "Juvia doesn't know how Lyon can stand with the microphone on your face…"

"Haha, don't worry about it!" Lyon laughed and patted her clenched hand. "You did great, and I'm sure everyone in the land of Fiore were struck by your beauty tonight. You think your family is watching?"

"Juvia's family is hopefully watching, since I waved to the camera for them," she thought outloud. "Juvia hopes that her little niece saw her, too."

"Well the press will be hanging around for a while longer, so you may get another chance to wave if they missed it." Lyon glanced around them, seeing everyone smiling and hurrying up the steps to the grand hall. "And it looks like everyone is enjoying themselves a lot this year, too. It's nice, after what happened a few days ago."

Juvia nodded. "Everyone looks happy," she said. For a moment, she pressed the side of her head against Lyon's strong arm, sensing his breath hitching at her little nuzzle. "Lyon does a wonderful job in protecting his employees. You're a good man, Lyon."

Her boss stammered, making her dark blue eyes peek up to see his cheeks red. "I-it's not like…" he stammered, looking away from her questionable gaze. "I just want the people I care about be happy, that's all."

Juvia smiled brighter. "It still makes Lyon a good man."

"Thanks…"

Once getting inside the remodeled ballroom, Juvia couldn't contain her gasp of delight and sparkles in her eyes. The ceiling was glowing with the chandeliers lights and bouncing off of the floor. Women in dresses and men in suits cluttered around the edges and danced in the middle to the band playing waltzing music. The caters had long tables at one corner near the staircase, at the other end of the ballroom, where they were probably using one of the lounging rooms as a storage space. Between the split staircases held a walled fountain that fell to a pool of sparkling water.

"It's so _pretty!" _Juvia cooed at the sight of the fountain, noticing pastel flowers decorating the surface on lilypads.

"You always liked that fountain, right, Juvia?" Lyon smiled at her childish awe.

"Juvia really likes water architecture," she explained with flushed cheeks. "The fountain here reminds of Juvia's home a little. Juvia and her siblings would go see it on the weekends and make wishes with coins."

"Well, I'm glad to see that you're already enjoying yourself," Lyon's features softened as he carefully took Juvia's fingers in a gentle grasp. Juvia blinked innocently and looked at him with a questionable tilt of her head. "Would you like to dance with me-?"

"Miss Juviaaa!" a shrilling cry of female voices interrupted him. Many feminine hands grasped Juvia's body and instantly hauled her away from Lyon. "Miss Juvia is finally here!"

"Excuse us, Mister Vastia," one of the female co-workers spoke to Lyon, who looked absolutely stunned by his date being taken away. "We have been waiting for Miss Juvia to arrive, so we will be borrowing her for a little while. You don't mind, do you?"

"I-I was going t-to…"

"Excellent!" the older woman grinned and hurried off to join the group of ladies surrounding her.

Juvia, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind it as much as she probably should. When her co-workers began complimenting her attire right away, Juvia couldn't help but peep her usual catchphrase and flush bright pink in embarrassment. The women couldn't help but gush at her cuteness.

"Miss Juvia, join us for drinks, please!" one of the older workers begged, holding a wine glass filled with the red liquid.

Juvia smiled shyly and shook her head. "J-Juvia would like to have some water, please," she declined politely and the bartender nodded and prepared a glass of iced water for her. When she thanked the kind man and returned to her group, she instantly joined in their discussion of questions and gossip.

"Are you okay, Miss Juvia?" one of them asked with a worried glance. "With your office broken into, I can't imagine what my reaction would be!"

"Juvia is perfectly fine," she confessed with a truthful smile. "Juvia just may need to be in Mister Vastia's office, until repairs can be made to Juvia's office."

"Ohh, I heard about that," one of the older women chuckle silky, drinking her wine. "It reminds me when you first started working with us - _Ohh, _you were so shy, Juvia-chan. It was so cute."

Juvia blushed and giggled. "R-really..."

"Oh yes. You started out doing paperwork and running errands, but you were so hyper and shy. Whenever someone tried to greet you, you would say '_Juvin!' _and scurry off back to work. It was just the cutest thing I have ever seen in a grown adult woman," she sighed sweetly, having the other ladies agree with sly giggles and sparkling stares at Juvia. "And now look at you! You arrive here with Mister Vastia! You've come a long way, Juvia-chan."

"_Yes!" _the rest of the women agreed, making Juvia blink and press her fingers to her lips.

"J-Juvia and Mister Vastia are here as friends…"

"We know, but we are so happy for you!"

Juvia gave a weary smile and drink the last of her water, excusing herself when she saw Lyon across the ballroom. Their eyes met for a moment and Juvia took that second to slip herself away from the uncomfortable conversation. Hurrying across the little path that was available, she walked straight to Lyon and huffed with flushed cheeks, making the taller man chuckle at her frustration.

"You look nice tonight, Miss Juvia," one of the men Lyon was speaking to commented with a bow to her, making Juvia smile and bow back politely and thank him. "I would suspect that Mister Vastia would like to dance with you. Excuse me."

Juvia opened her mouth to try and bring the gentleman back, but her glass was slipped from her fingers. Blinking, Juvia peeked to see Lyon taking her empty glass and placing it on a cater's tray walking by. Winking at her, Lyon then offered his hand to her.

"May I have this dance, Juvia?" he asked her with that playful grin.

Juvia couldn't contain her own smile as she slipped her hand into his, allowing him to guide her to the dancefloor where bodies of people were beginning a group waltz, lining up in two line and facing their partner. Juvia hurried to the other end while Lyon gracefully arrived to his spot, the smile never leaving their faces when the band readied their instruments at the top of the stairs' balcony. Once the music began, the women curtsied and the men bowed to each other before taking a few steps forward.

Despite Juvia's long skirt being a little bit difficult to take wide steps, she was fully capable of matching her movements with Lyon as they moved across the floor gracefully. Juvia stifled a laugh when Lyon had to lift her for a moment before spinning her outward, where she would pass by another lady to trade partners. She saw Lyon pout for a moment, but nonetheless take his new partner and spin her around just as carefully.

The blue-haired woman hummed as she danced with her new partner, twirling around and taking a difficult step to match his moves. Despite his friendly gestures, his steps were a bit too big for her to keep up with, since her dress had restraints.

She then would return to Lyon's side, his hand on her hip and other in her own hand as they greeted a new set of partners and faced each other once more for another chance to dance. Once the music came to an end and the dancers finished their movements, a roar of applause erupted in the ballroom, some people cheering as the men bowed again to their lady.

Juvia clapped lightly when Lyon gave her a deep bow, making her giggle when he flashed a grin up to her. She gave him a curtsie when he stood up. "Lyon is such a great dancer. Juvia never knew that Lyon could dance so well!"

"You're not too bad of a dancer yourself, Juvia," Lyon commented.

"Can Lyon dance with Juvia again, or are you tired already?" she teased, holding the back of her hand to her hand as she hid her giggle from him. Lyon exhaled a breath and stretched his back with a tired look on her face.

"I suppose so. I still got some energy before I pass out," he drawled in a playful tone. "If that's what you want."

"Juvia would like-!"

A loud bang erupted, causing a low rumble on the ground and silence throughout the ballroom. Faint cries and shouts could be heard in the distance, before another sound of explosions occurred, and silence took over inside the ballroom. Juvia blinked and looked around to see everyone else just as confused as she and Lyon are. The band stopped playing altogether and caters halt from serving drinks and food; the rumble continued for another long minute until it suddenly went still and silent.

Juvia blinked and looked to the entrance of the hall. "What was that?"

Lyon stood closer and tilt his head. "Maybe someone is doing fireworks outside the gate."

"Did you order fireworks?" Juvia asked, looking up to him. "Juvia doesn't remember you saying anything about-!"

**BOOM!**

An explosion startled Juvia and screams flew into the air as some people were pushed back from the power of the force. She witnessed some people colliding with each other and the columns of the ballroom; some others were hit with rubble of the castle's rocky wall or the grand door. Smoke invaded the collapsed interior and another small blast nearly made Juvia fall back if Lyon didn't catch her and held her tightly to him.

Burying her face into his chest for a moment, Juvia waited until the rumbling stopped. She cracked her eye open to see Lyon using his body to shield hers from any crumbling rock, his arms tightly wrapped around her torso and a hand tangled in her blue hair to protect her head.

"Everyone get back!" Lyon shouted to the standing and the people struggling to get up. Some people were helping the fallen try to stand up or push the piles of rubble off of the other, who were bleeding and sobbing in pain. Juvia tensed when she saw a few not moving at all…

Once the smoke began clearing, shadows of different sizes and shaped forms stepped forward and into the crumbling floors. People began shouting when rocks began shaking, some of the injured screaming when the weight was suddenly lifted off of them and hovering in the air.

"Mages!" a woman cried in horror.

"Everyone get to the catering room!" Lyon instructed as loud as he could. "Help the injured and women get in first and find an exit!"

"_Hon, hon, hon! _You won't find an exit that easily!" a heavy, French-accented voice chuckled proudly. A tall, thin, lanky man with dark green hair and a mustache waddled into view, smiling oh-so-darkly. "These earths are in my control now, _Monsieur! _I can make sure no one escapes through windows - rocks shall cover them up!"

Another man, more buff and snarky-looking crossed his arms behind the lanky man. "Sol, dude, quit thinking you're all that and a bag of diamonds. You're letting it get to your head!"

"_Hon, hon, _so rude during our missions, _oui!" _the man, Sol, chuckled brightly, raising his hands high. The hovering rocks moving to create a form of wall behind the rest of the emerging group. "Master said not to let anyone leave, until we find her!"

People were screaming and hurrying to the other end of the ballroom, scrambling up the stairs in fright. The injured were either carried hastily or left to crawl on their own, making Juvia shiver at the horrid sight of innocent people suffering. It was becoming chaos.

"Juvia," Lyon's voice whispered into her ear, catching her attention. His hands held her face and he strained to see tears forming in her big eyes. His voice was quiet, calming. "Come on, you need to follow everyone else." Behind him, she saw, were some men standing their ground with objects, such as candlesticks and table legs that were broken off.

Juvia shakingly nodded and saw an injured woman, the older lady who Juvia had a conversation with earlier, struggling to stand. Her side was bleeding and her leg looked to be broken. Juvia hurried to her and dragged the woman's body to lean up on her.

"M-Miss Juvia...it hurts," she sobbed horribly. Juvia saw that she was also bleeding from her head. "I can't walk..!"

"Juvia has you!" she said in a whisper as she hurried as fast as she could to the stairs. Caterers were trying to help women and injured people into the room at the top of the stairs, shouting for them to remain calm and keeping freaked men from shoving the weaker out of the way. Juvia had some trouble getting the woman up the stairs, until another man with a bleeding shoulder came to her other side and propped her up and practically carried her while Juvia hurried.

Getting inside the large lounging room, that was situated with the packed food and cooking pots, Juvia guided the woman to a empty table and helped her to lay down on it. A cater-woman helped lay the women down, using her vest as a pillow.

The room was tightly packed with bodies of her co-workers, guests to the party and some of the caters. The door remained open as others tried to force themselves inside, panic heavy in the air. Looking down to the woman tightly holding her hand, Juvia bit her lip tightly as she gave a gentle squeeze back.

"Miss J-Juvia...what happened," she slurred sorely. The cater-woman gently hushed her and used a napkin to dab up the blood from her head.

"Miss Juvia!" a few more voices came to her and she saw a few other men and women from work approach her, dirty and scared beyond life. "The Mages broke in! I thought the security was suppose to remain outsi-!"

"It's obvious that they attacked the cops!"

"But what about the extra help?"

"Probably _dead!"_

"No! There were other people out there, remember? At the gate! They couldn't be dead, too!"

Juvia's breath was quickening. The reporter woman came stumbling towards them, bleeding from her arm and stomach with streams of tears falling from her eyes. Juvia caught her when she screamed and lost use of her legs from shock, helping her sit on the floor.

"He's dead!" the reporter sobbed, clutching her arm tighter as she buried her face into Juvia's shoulder, her bloodstained blonde hair covering Juvia's vision. "He just graduated and only worked for a week with me, and now he's _dead! _A rock fell on his head and _I couldn't wake him up!"_

Her heart pounding fast, Juvia drowned out all of the cries and yells in the room, her arms holding the reporter who once invade her space when she arrive. She silently tried to calm the woman down, but that only brought her to lean back and scream out her fears to her. Juvia could hear yells of men out there, in the ballroom, the french man's voice echoing to her ears only.

"We only come for who Master is looking for!" he exclaimed. "Bring us who we are looking for, and we won't kill any more!"

"Where is Juvia Lockser?" another voice roared. "Bring her here, and we'll leave!"

Juvia's eyes widen, the scent of dirt, spilled food and blood invading her nose. Hazy faces and tears in her sight as she looked around the room, everyone not seeming to hear what the Mages were shouting, too focused on their fear and themselves. Juvia could feel her left thigh itching. The itch was painful this time.

"What are we going to do?" the reporter sobbed, pulling back and clinging to Juvia's dress. "He's dead! He's _dead!"_

Juvia breathed, taking a moment to collect herself as she offered a small smile to the red-dressed woman, taking hold of her wrists carefully. This was natural to her, she remembered, being thrust into mayhem and violence - she wasn't expecting it this time. No, Juvia was suppose to play the role as Juvia the Human.

But Juvia the Human is gone.

"Juvia is sorry for all of this."

"E-eh?" the woman sobbed pathetically. "Wh-what do you-?"

Not sparing another moment, Juvia reached down to her dark dress and ripped up the skirt up her thigh. The woman blinked in confusion as Juvia went to her other thigh and began ripping up the material until her tattoo finally came in to view. It felt like tons of weight was lifted right off her body as Juvia displayed her tattoo, a tiny smile threatening to perk on her lips.

"Miss Juvia?" one of her co-workers peeped when she stood up slowly, the remains of her dress inhand.

With the strip of her dress Juvia wrapped the reporters arm in a makeshift bandage, only to stop the bleeding until she could be properly treated. The woman winced at the tightened knot, but didn't falter her stare at the risen form. "Juvia wants everyone to listen," she began, "so you can all return home safely." Standing straight with her legs exposed, people stared in shock to her. "Juvia is the one the Mages are looking for, so she will distract them. Everyone is to help each other out of here, as Lyon would want to happen."

"J-Juvia, your leg…"

"_You're from a Guild?_" a woman shrieked.

Juvia offered a sad smile. "Juvia is sorry for lying all these years, but Juvia promises that she will protect her fellow friends and workers from E.N.D."

"She's a _Mage!"_

"There is a back door that was built in to the castle!" she pointed to the fireplace that was not in use. "Push the wall of the fireplace, then there will be stairs that will lead you to the back of the hall. The door will open to the ruins - the Mages wouldn't know of the door, so you should have a chance to make it to safety while Juvia drives them off."

The older, injured employee that Juvia helped suddenly grasped her tattered skirt, making eye contact while the older woman slowly forced herself to sit up. The cater-woman assisted, of course. "Miss J-Juvia..? J-Juvia, sweetheart..? Are you a M-Mage..?"

Juvia gently held her hand and kissed the woman's knuckles. "I am Juvia Lockser," she stated with a strong voice. "Juvia is from the Fairy Tail Guild, and her Guild's custom is to protect the innocent lives of all. Juvia promises to protect those she cares for… Please, promise Juvia that you will be safe and take care of yourself."

"J-Juvia, I-I-!"

"I'm sorry," she whispered sweetly, prying the woman's hands off of her as she stepped away and began heading towards the door. With her dress torn, it will be much easier for Juvia to fight the Mages who are still in the ballroom.

Against the promise she made to herself years ago, Juvia Lockser is entering a fight.

.

.

.

=xxx=

AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE - It's hard to write Juvia interacting with co-workers and the Mages without using characters who aren't actually all that evil.


	5. Chapter 5

I should get to writing my SasuSaku/NaruHina, but I'm having sooo much fun with Fairy Tail right now, I can't help me.

=xxx=

.

.

.

Sleeping Beauty

"Give us Juvia Lockser, and we will leave!"

Juvia joined the group of watchers at the top of the balcony, right above the waterfall fountain. Pushing her way between the caters, Juvia witnessed Lyon and three other men at his side, holding items to fight off the Mages blocking the entrance to the hall. Juvia counted five Mages, yet some of them were difficult to identify from their appearance what their power is like for her. Holding her breath, Juvia watched as Lyon shook his head.

"We don't know who you are talking about!" he said in a loud voice. Juvia bit her lip in fear as she watched the Mages look at each other and started laughing.

"_Hon, hon! _He thinks we will fall for that?" Sol laughed and pointed to Lyon in a joking manner. "Sorry, _Monsieur, _but our boss knows a lot more than you do - he knows that Juvia Lockser works for END, and will be attending tonight."

"Besides, if you don't give us what we want," another Mage, dressed more like a gangster snickered. Picking up a women dressed in white, bleeding from her head and looked half-conscious, the Mage formed his hand into a sharpened weapon and aimed it at her neck. "We can just start killing off all of you one-by-one, until we find her."

Juvia's eyes widened when all but Sol held a Human in a restraint, making Lyon stiffen and the other men glance at each other. "Even so," Lyon huffed, "what would you want from Juvia?"

"Master has his own reasons, _oui," _Sol purred as he stroked his mustache. "We don't dare to question Master's orders, you see. He gets rather cranky when we ask him questions."

"Ma'am, you need to get back in the room, where it's safe," a cater grasped Juvia's shoulder, making the woman growl and snap her head to her. "We'll try to-!"

"Juvia does not need protection. You should worry for the people in the room!" she snapped in a harsh whisper, turning around and noticing the attention from a couple more men watching. "Let Juvia handle this."

The cater noticed her tattoo and gulped thickly. Holding up his hands in defeat, he backed away from her as she marched forward, making a pathway for herself to the stairs. "I-I...I'm sorry, I didn't know y-you were a-!"

"Get as many people to safety," she ordered, seeing caters backing away from her in fright. She ignored the mumbling of concerns and frightened Humans as she slipped to the nearest staircase and hurried down the steps. "Hurry!"

Juvia ran expertly in her heels over to Lyon's side, her stance firm and ready as she faced the Mages with a dark look in her eyes and a sneer appearing on her lips. Lyon's breath of surprise only took her attention for a second.

"Juvia! What are you _doing?" _he hissed, turning his attention to the blue-haired woman. "What did I tell you to-?"

"They are looking for Juvia, so Juvia came back," she explained quickly, hands clutching at her sides when the Mages took notice of her presence. Standing tall, Juvia stared down at Sol. "I am Juvia Lockser!"

"_I see, I see, oui!" _Sol sang in pure joy. "You are much more beautiful than the stories told, _Madame."_

"Let the hostages go!" Juvia ordered. "That was your deal, right? If Juvia appeared, then lives will be spared in trade!"

"_Oui!" _Sol smiled and snapped his fingers to his companions. "You heard _Madame, _let the Humans go."

"Oi, Sol, you _idiot!" _one of the Mage men hissed, tightening his grasp on the Human man's neck, causing him to choke. "How do we know if she's the real deal?"

"Oh, that is true," Sol frowned and held his face with a gloved hand. "Master would be angered if we brought the wrong Juvia Lockser to him, no?"

With that said, Sol raised his free hand, awakening a hovering rock about the size as Lyon's bulky build. Juvia, unfazed by the intention they were giving, stepped forward and infront of Lyon and the shaking Humans remaining back.

"Juvia, no!" Lyon beckoned her to come back. "They'll hurt y-!"

Sol launched the earthy rock at Juvia. It only took her a second he let out an angered scream and conjure water from her own body.

"**Water Slicer!" **she yelled in a deafening voice. The water that appeared from nowhere struck the rock in angular hits, making the flying rock freeze in its spot before crumbling into chunks a few feet away from her. Keeping her balance, Juvia swung her heeled leg across in a round-house kick and brought up a pressure of water to force the remains back to them.

Some Mages were able to dodge the counter attack while others used their own power to stop it. One used his free hand to burn the rock to ashes; another used high speed to move him and his hostage to the other side of Sol.

"J-Juvia…" Lyon whispered in absolute shock, finally seeing the blue-inked tattoo adoring her left thigh as she brought her leg down and stood back up.

"I am Juvia Lockser," she introduced to Sol and the other Mages who seemed surprise by her attack. "I am a water Mage for the Guild, and I order you to let the Humans _go!"_

Sol slowly smiled and snapped his fingers. "Come on, boys. Lets do what we promised to the _Madame, _no?"

Slowly, each Mage released their hostage and pushed them between the space of the sides. The men who joined Lyon in fighting back were quick to pick up the injured as quick as they could and flee to the stairs behind Juvia, where others came down and helped them into the room for safety.

"Juvia, y-you're a Mage?" Lyon stuttered behind Juvia, who refused to lose eye contact with the enemy. "H-how-?"

"Juvia is sorry for lying to Lyon, and everyone at E.N.D., but now is not the time," Juvia answered, closing her eyes for a second and peeked over her shoulder to Lyon. She gave him a smile, yet her eyes were watery with unshed tears. "Please, Lyon. They're here for Juvia, so Lyon should go and make sure everyone is safe."

"B-but-!"

"You should listen to _Madame," _Sol called out with a teasing tone. "This has nothing to do with you anymore."

Lyon stiffened and grew angry. "Juvia! Let me-!"

"_Come here, sweetheart!" _a snarky voice perked Juvia's ears as she caught sight of a speeding form heading towards her and Lyon. Juvia saw a glint of his knife sparkling in his hand and aimed for Lyon's chest. Acting quickly, Juvia spiked her emotions through her veins, and summoned boiling water from the air and struck right at the upcoming Mage.

"Shit!" the speed Mage cried out when struck by boiling water. Juvia twisted her arms upward and picked up the enemy into a bubble filled with water. Juvia figured that the temperature inside was hotter than needed, since she could see the layers of skin already bubbling and peeling from the speed Mage.

"**Water Lock!" **Juvia hissed and pushed outward to the speed Mage, who screamed under the water at the continuing boil of the water. It was utter agony, watching the Mage burn alive to her magic, yet it wasn't the first time Juvia took a life with reason.

Once the body inside the water stopped moving altogether, Juvia released the body and launched it back to the enemy's side. The water returned to Juvia as she held out her arms in a ready-stance, her power waiting for the next move.

"Shit, man! She _killed him _just like that!" a Mage gawked and looked between Juvia and the dead body the threw at them. "He didn't say anything about her being this strong! What the hell!

"Dont you dare endanger Lyon!" Juvia growled darkly. Taking a moment to see if Lyon was safe, the man fell to his knees and was currently being held up by two daring men who ran over to help him up. Juvia wasted no time in turning back to the battle, letting Lyon be taken away up the stairs.

"_Madame, _you certainly show no mercy to those who threaten Humans," Sol hummed brightly, clapping in applause to Juvia. "Not to mention the beauty you hold while you're in combat! I definitely see now why Master takes a interest in you. But, I can also see that you won't be coming with us willingly…"

Gesturing to the Mage who nearly collided with the dead body Juvia threw at them, the man came up slowly to Sol's side as instructed. "I would like to see what else you can handle, since earth and speed magic seem no worry for you."

The summoned Mage rubbed his hands together and opened his palms, fire erupting from his hands. A cheeky smile sprouted from his face as he looked from the edge of his sunglasses to the targeted woman.

Juvia smiled darkly as well, making the fire Mage suddenly frown. "Sol, I don't think-"

"Never question my intentions. I wish to play with the Madame!" Sol yelled. "Give her everything you got-!"

"_That won't be necessary, Sol."_

Juvia blinked, her stance unchanging as her lips parted at the sound of a voice she hasn't heard in years. The voice that comforted her in the middle of the night, when she woke up crying from a nightmare; the voice that brought sunshine to her rainy days, and told her little stories of what he did before coming to the Fairy Tail home…

=xxx=

"_Juvia-chan, come with us to town! We are getting our allowances today!" Lucy's voice brought Juvia to two weeks before her birthday. It has been a month since she arrive to the home for Mage children, and Juvia was just starting to open herself a little bit more to the people here. She was sitting in breakfast with the girls this morning, the rain still falling from the sky as she picked at her pancakes._

_Blinking, Juvia looked from her plate of well-filled food made by Mirajane and Erza (after they fought for a good hour) to see Lucy grinning. "Allowance?"_

"_Yeah, when we do chores around the home. Remember? You and I would help clean the lobby and sweep in the classrooms? Master Makarov gives everyone an allowance once a month for us to spend how we please!" Lucy gushed. "I have saved my money to buy this cute bookbag that I can keep my writing inside, and some other stuff. Natsu showed it to me."_

"_Oh…" Juvia fidgeted with her fingers. "Uhm...if Juvia won't be too much trouble."_

"_Of course not!" Levy came to Juvia's side and hauled her out of her seat. Fixing the dress Juvia was wearing, Levy looked her over and smiled. "You're dressed cute today, a perfect day to go to the town!"_

"_But it's raining…"_

"_Which is why," Lucy sang, pulling out items she was holding behind her back, "we got these from Master Makarov! Look at these cute umbrellas, Ju-vi-a-chan! We're going to be the cutest girls there! I call having the cat one!"_

"_Oh, Lulu-chan, can I have the panda?"_

_And that's how Juvia found herself walking to town with the group of girls who lived in the same corridor as her, everyone either holding or sharing an umbrella and following in a line. Erza and Mirajane found peace between each other to share a purple umbrella as they both led the younger ones to town. It wasn't much of a hard walk, the rain haven't caused mud or deep puddles, so it was quick to arrive to the small European-styled strip of shops._

"_Okay, girls," Erza called, turning with Mirajane and placing her hands on her hips. "Mirajane and I need to send letters to the post office for Master Makarov, so you ladies have the rest of the morning to shop and hang around."_

"_Meet back here by noon!" Mirajane instructed before heading off with the umbrella without Erza. The redheaded girl snapped and chased after the white-haired one, yelling about how she was asking for a beating for taking off without the letters and her._

"_Juvia-chan, are you going with us to the bookshop?" Lucy asked brightly to the blue-haired girl. Levy smiled behind the two, seeing how Juvia blushed shyly._

"_J-Juvia would like to see the teru-teru-bozu, if that's okay with Lucy and Levy," she answered, looking down to her rain boots with flushed cheeks. "Juvia would like to see if she could buy it yet…"_

"_Okay! Come by the bookshop when you're ready, Juvia-chan!" Lucy smiled and took off with Levy while Juvia slowly walked the other way. The other girls, such as Cana, Lisanna, Evergreen, went their separate paths, letting Juvia have space._

_Making her way to the store with the window showing the dolls that have caught Juvia's attention, she noticed some of the boys from Fairy Tail also running amok and hurrying to places. She blinked for a second, seeing Natsu hurry to the bookstore Lucy and Levy went to, she turned away before she make eye-contact with anyone else…_

_Coming up to the store, Juvia slowly came to a halt and peeked up to the window of the little ghost-dolls smiling down to her. She sighed, looking at the price tag hanging from one of them and counted the amount of money she received from Mirajane as allowance._

"_Juvia does not have enough yet," she mumbled, pocketing the money back to her coat pocket. Still, she looked to the dolls with wonder and thought of when she was able to purchase it, how it reminded her of her parents._

"_Hey you!"_

_Turning around, Juvia saw an unfamiliar pair of boys looking at her with something in their eyes. Juvia frowned a little bit and turned to them, tilting her head to them to let know that they have her attention._

"_You're from that wierd house outside of town, aren't you?" one boy pointed accusingly at her. "The home where they take care of Mages!"_

_Juvia blinked and nibbled her lips. She looked down to her boots. "You are, huh? Ya know, we noticed it hasn't stopped raining since you've been here. We asked our folks if it's a Mage doing this, and we figured out that since _you _came here, it's been raining!"_

"_You're cursed, aren't you? I bet your parents gave you up because you make it rain nonstop!" the other snarled at her, making Juvia stiffen in fright._

"_N-no...J-Juvi-!"_

"_We learned at school that Mages have control over the elements in nature," one boy took a step forward, making Juvia take a step away from them in fright. "Make it stop raining! It's depressing!"_

"_B-but...Juvia c-can't-!"_

"_Do it now!" they yelled at her, making tears slip from Juvia's dark blue eyes. Frightened, Juvia tried to escape by slipping into an alley beside the shop with the teru-teru-bozu. She knew that there was a backspace she could go around and hurry to the bookstore, where she knew her friends would help her. Juvia ran as quick as she could, too scared to look back._

_She tripped over her rainboots, falling forward and dropping her umbrella. Scraping her chin and hands, Juvia whimpered in pain as she pulled her hands to her chest, slowly rolling to her side._

"_Hey!" a foot pressed to her side, forcing Juvia to roll on her back. A hard stomp slammed on her stomach, forcing her to gasp in pain. "Stop the rain! We know it's you doing it."_

"_S-stop!" Juvia cried out, grasping the ankle of the boy putting more pressure on her belly. Her tears slipped from her eyes shutting tightly, the pain spiking as the boy raised his foot and stomped harder on her._

_The other boy came up and kicked Juvia's side. "Do what we say!"_

"_It hurts!" Juvia shouted. "Please! P-please stop!"_

_Her stomach was hurting too much, the weight on her abdomen was unbearable to her small frame. They kicked her, stepped on her, and she couldn't move and her chin and hands were bleeding and-!_

"_JUVIA!"_

_The voice. The voice that made the pain finally disappear from her stomach. Coughing wetly, Juvia opened her eyes to see a shining light hit one of the boys on the back. The boy screamed and stumbled forward, away from her, while the other boy snapped his head back to the opening._

"_Stay out of this! This isn't about you!" the boy yelled at the silhouette of a familiar form to Juvia._

_The form clapped his fist to his palm and shot it towards, ice sprouting from the palms and hitting the bully in the chest and sent him flying back with his companion. Stepping forward, Juvia watched as Gray approach her and knelt down, cold hand holding each side of her face._

"_Juvia," Gray called to her. "Juvia, are you okay? Tell me."_

_Juvia's ears were ringing, eyes swelling with tears as she was forced to sit up. She clutched her stomach, where the throbbing of the boys' kicks and stomps intensified. Juvia cried out miserably and curled to the side of the wet ground. Gray's eyes widened and tried to get her attention._

"_It hurts! It hurts in Juvia's belly!" she screamed, rubbing her hands to her eyes. Shaking beyond control, she didn't stop crying when he ran his hand through her curled hair. When it usually calmed her down, Juvia couldn't feel it and it angered Gray as she shakingly slipped his hand from her blue hair. _

_Gray unzipped his black sweatshirt and draped it around her shaking body like a blanket. Engulfed in the familiar scent of Gray, Juvia cracked her eyes open to see him getting to his feet and head towards the two boys clawing the ice off each other._

"_G-Gray..?" she shakingly whispered._

"_How dare you hurt Juvia!" Gray howled in disgust and he stomped past her. "What did she ever do to you!"_

"_She's making it rain, you idiot!" one of the boys yelled back. "It's not our fault she won't listen and stop it! It's all her fault!"_

"_It's _never _Juvia's fault!" Gray pointed out, grabbing one of them by the shirt and hauling them up, so they were eye leveled. "Juvia has never done _anything wrong! _Juvia didn't do nothing wrong, you jackasses!"_

"_She's cursed!" the boy growled lowly. "I don't see why anyone would want to be around her - she's depressing and-!"_

"_I want to be around her! She's perfect to me!" Gray's voice stun her ears and made her heart skipped a beat. Forcing herself to roll to her bottom, Juvia came to see Gray using his bare hands to punch the Human in the face, hovering above him as he drew each fist back._

_Her stomach felt like it was tearing apart, trying to get up and she would slid against the wet bricks back to the floor. The pain was too much for her to move._

"_Juvia is normal, you fuckin' jerk!" Gray continued to yell, still keeping up with his fight when the other boy tried to get up and run for it. He hauled him back to the ground and pounced on him next. "She's part of the Fairy Tail home! She has feelings and it's not-" a particular hard punch to the kid's nose "- her -" another to the temple "- _**fault**!"

"_Gray! Gray what are you _doing!" _Natsu's voice was there, somewhere, Juvia could hear._

"_You're gonna pay for the what you did to Juvia!" Gray ignored his friend's calling._

"_Gray, stop!"_

"_Juvia-chan!" Lucy's shriek was noticeable, and Juvia could feel the tiny hands of her friend on her shoulder._

_Shaking, Juvia painfully pulled her head away from Gray and looked to the blonde girl. Juvia exhaled in pain and tried to make herself curl tighter and lessen the pain in her belly. "G-Gray came to...J-Juvia a-and…" Tears practically fell out like the rain from her eyes when Levy knelt beside her and carefully touched Juvia's tight hands. Levy's other hand propped her chin up to see the wound on Juvia's pale skin. "I-it hurts...a lot…"_

_Natsu was finally able to pull Gray off of the Human, yet Cana and Jet came and held Gray in place. Gray's knuckles were stained red and he was breathing hard, yet he kept trying to get out of his friends' hold on him._

"_Get out of here, now!" Cana yelled at the two boys, who followed her harsh orders and took off. "Gray, stop it right now!"_

"_Gray, come on!" Natsu pleaded. "Hey, come on! Juvia is fine now, see?"_

_The three of the Fairy Tail home was able to pull Gray farther back to the three girls by the wall. Natsu didn't hesitate to drop his whole body on his friend, using his weight to keep Gray from chasing after the boys. Natsu tangled his hands through the inky hair and twisted Gray's head to look at Juvia, who was still holding her stomach as tight as she could and tears still in her eyes._

_His whole body, mind and violent look in his eye all stopped. He relaxed, eyes softened and baring teeth disappeared from his lips closing over them. She sniffled and shut her eyes tightly, wincing at the pinch in her stomach._

"_Juvia," Gray called out and reached his bloodstained hand over and gently touched her rainboot with the tips of his fingers. "Are you okay, Juvia?"_

_Juvia's face twisted to pain and sadness, her body jerking with little hiccups erupting from her throat. Her shoulders shaking and Lucy only cooed soothing words to her._

_Levy twisted her head and looked up to the older classmate. "Hey, Jet. Can you go get Erza and Mirajane? I think we need to carry Juvia back, it looks like she's going to have a bad bruise on her tummy."_

"_Sure!" Jet nodded and disappeared in a blink of an eye. _

"_I'm gonna go wait for them out there," Cana said before walking off, leaving Natsu on top of Gray, keeping him still._

"_You going to be a good boy now, Gray?" Natsu asked in a pouted tone, his body still sitting on Gray's back, keeping his hand on the back of Gray's head still. "I don't wanna hafta chase ya, 'kay?"_

"_Get off me, stupid," Gray grumbled for a moment to his friend, pushing himself up and Natsu off of his back. The pink-haired boy rolled off and blinked in confusion. Gray sat up in front of Juvia and tried to look at her face, but she was hiding her face with her hand. Sighing, Gray looked to Levy and Lucy with tired eyes. "Can you give us a minute? Until Erza and Mira get here."_

"_Yeah, sure," Levy said with a small smile, getting up with Lucy, who grabbed Natsu by the sleeves of his coat._

"_C'mon, Natsu!" Lucy chirped, gently tugging on her friend's jacket. Natsu was quick to jump to his feet, hurrying out to look for the older sister-figures to arrive, not forgetting to grab Lucy's hand in his own and hauling her away. "Natsu! Not so fast!"_

_Gray waited until they were gone before looking back to Juvia, who was trying to hide her face more by using the given sweatshirt over her head. Chuckling, Gray stopped her by gently grasping her wrists and pulling them down to her lap, bringing the sweatshirt with it. She kept her eyes shut, yet she continued to cry._

"_Hey, it's okay, Juvia," Gray spoke quietly, wiping away her tears with his thumbs, making her cheeks smush. He eased the tight grip on her cheeks when she whined about the cut on her chin. "We'll take you home and have someone look at your stomach, okay?"_

"_G-Gray got in a f-f-fight!" Juvia sobbed sadly, her cheeks still squished by Gray's hands. Crying, Juvia hiccuped and finally looked at him. "And it was J-Juvia's f-!"_

"_Nah-ah, don't go sayin' it was your fault now," Gray stopped her by pressing his thumb to her pouting lips. "Those two had no right to hurt you like that. Okay, you hear me? It's not your fault."_

"_J-Juvia is confused…" she hiccuped once he removed his finger from her mouth. She rubbed under her eye and shyly looked up to him._

"_About what?" Gray blinked._

"_W-why did Gray say that Juvia is perfect?" she asked with a sniffle, looking down._

_Gray blinked once, twice. It took him a moment before a big, dorky smile stretched on his lips and a tiny laugh slipped from his mouth. Juvia looked back at him, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment at the sound of him laughing at her. _

"_What?" Juvia blubbered. "Why is Gray laughing at Juvia?"_

"_Because, you don't get it, do you?" Gray laughed harder and scratched the back of his head. "I said that because I do think you're perfect, Juvia!"_

"_E-e...eh?"_

_Gray gave her a smile, fixing the sweater around her and pulling the hood up over her head. Her eyes were wide and the blush deepened to a bright red, holding her stomach tighter. Even though it hurt, her heart pounding against her chest dulled the pain. She could see a very, very tiny tint of pink in his cheeks, and it made her heart swoon even more…_

"_I think you're perfect. I care about you, okay? So don't worry about me fighting those who try to hurt you," he said slowly, refusing to meet her eyes now as he sighed. He reached forward with both hands, and pulled Juvia to his hold, gently hugging her to him. "I know I don't see ya that often, but you're important to me now, okay?"_

_Juvia blinked and flushed in her cheeks. Feeling Gray's chin rest on her shoulder and his hands gently rubbing her back, Juvia's eyes swelled with fresh tears. Closing her eyes, Juvia nuzzled her face into his neck…_

_And a bright, bright smile on her face._

"_H-hey...Lucy, look!" Natsu's voice could be heard in the distance. "Lucy, look up!"_

"_Whoa...the rain stopped!" Lucy gasped. "The rain stopped! Oh my gosh, Natsu, look at the sky!"_

_Gray blinked his eyes open and looked up to the sky to see the clouds clearing away. Eyes widening, he glanced down to see the blue-haired girl smiling as bright at the sun; her cheeks bright red as she looked to Gray with the happiest smile, completely ignoring her harmed palms, chin and stomach._

"_Juvia?"_

"_Gray-sama!" she said through her happy tears, reaching for him to receive another hug. "Gray-sama thinks Juvia is important!"_

_The sun was shining, the rain stopped and Juvia's sadness was erased because of one boy who let himself into her life._

=xxx=

He walked into view as if he was just taking a stroll, hands in his pockets as he approached Sol, who greeted him silently with a nod. Juvia's whole body stiffened when he became more clear the closer to he got.

His black hair was just as messy as she remembered, yet his bangs were pushed back to show off his face better. The familiar scar on the left side of his forehead was still there, and the same, sultry smirk he wore when he was getting business done hasn't changed. His toned chest and abs were the same…

Yet his eyes weren't the same dark color she remembered. Instead, what was replaced was a rusty brown color to his eyes, yet the stare was still very much _his stare. _Along with his new eyes, his right side of his face was decorated with a black mark, like a cracked surface filled with black ink that stretched down his bulked neck and probably hiding even more under his white, unbuttoned coat.

Once reaching Sol's side, he glanced to the thin man and raised a brow of question, causing the Frenchman to flinch and take a step away from him.

"I did instruct to use any means necessary to bring her to me," he said in a low voice. "Hostages, threats...but I don't think I said you could play with her like a doll, did I? Did I say to bring her harmed to me?"

"N-no, Master," Sol shuddered.

Looking past Sol, he gave a hard look to the Mage with fire sprouting from his hands. The Mage with sunglasses and fire flinched and dispersed the flames. He turned around and rejoined the remaining Mages further back, where the other men were waiting.

He stood straight then, his eyes moved back to the blue-haired woman still holding the water above her. He smiled, his perfect teeth sparkling just the little bit in the chandelier light. Juvia's eyes narrowed in return, but it only made him smile bigger.

"I tried to find you at the E.N.D. building," he said smoothly. "You weren't there, Juvia."

She remained silent, her blood pumping harder as the water above her water boiled above her, completely noticeable from a distance. He seemed to find it amusing, removing his right hand from his pocket and Juvia could see his hand blacked, just like the mark on his face.

"You've grown a lot, I see. So much more beautiful than I remember," he said softly, his eyes calming although it didn't work for the angry Mage woman. "I suppose as a head profiler for E.N.D., I suppose your schedule didn't match up for our arrival, am I right?"

Juvia didn't move. She didn't even breathe.

He held out his hand, the black one, out to her. It was like he was offering to dance with her, or pull her into a hug. "Juvia, it's me. Don't you recognize me? It's your _Gray-sama-!_"

"You're not _him!_"

He blinked, seemingly confused. "Juvia-"

"_YOU ARE NOT _**MY** _GRAY-SAMA!"_

.

.

.

=xxx=

AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE - Juvia is the more important to me than bagels. And that's saying a lot.


	6. Chapter 6

I really love you guys, and the Fairy Tail fandom so much. You guys are really awesome, in my opinion and I'm glad to have given the anime/manga another chance. Please enjoy the update!

Remember to Follow, Favorite, Review or do something that makes you happy. Have a wonderful day, and Kitty loves you!

=xxx=

.

.

.

Sleeping Beauty

Gray smiled and dropped his outstretched, black hand. "You shouldn't lie to yourself, Juvia," he said softly, his head tilting to the side and a strand of his bangs fell to his forehead. "Don't be like this."

He took a step forward, towards her and was suddenly stopped by a boiling splash of water at his boots. His lips went to a firm line as his rusty-colored eyes gazed up to the angry Mage woman.

"Don't come near me!" Juvia hissed darkly. "You are _not _the Gray-sama Juvia knows. _You _are not Juvia's Gray-sama!"

"Juvia, don't anger me," Gray grumbled. "I'm not here to hurt you-!"

"You killed the security outside, didn't you? You killed Juvia's co-workers, Juvia's _friends!" _she screamed, bringing her arms back and launched them forward. This caused the hot water to launched at him again, yet the attack was stopped when Gray clapped his hands together and created a thick shield of ice. Sol and the other Mages called out for their leader when the shield began cracking under the intense pressure and heat of Juvia's water.

Gray jumped back in time before being engulfed by boiling water, grunting when his back back collided with a rock Sol was using to block off any space for Humans to escape from. Juvia noticed their distraction and took the opportunity to make a run to the other staircase.

Running in heels was nothing new to Juvia. In fact, she was very fast in them and could make it to the other stairs she knew would lead to a hallway. With the fountain still sprouting water, Juvia used her hand to swing above her head and to form a dome over her once she reached the door; yanking it open, Juvia looked to see Gray already following her with his team, making her stiffen for a second. Splaying her hands and pushing them, Juvia heated the dome as best as she could before Gray raised his own hand and clapped them together.

"**Ice Make: Arrows," **he growled loudly, aiming his ice to the dome, which slowly pushed their way through the dome. Most of them were melting, but it wouldn't take long for them to break her dome.

Juvia took off into the hallway, which was pitch black except for the windows illuminating the moon through the glass. She didn't slow down in her running as she hurried to the far end of the hall, where a obviously locked door stood silently. Juvia slammed her body to force herself to a stop, pushing to see if she could slip an opening between, yet it didn't budge.

"Search every room!" Sol's voice yelled and echoed to the darkest part of the hall, where Juvia stiffened and covered her mouth with both hands. "Restrain her, but don't let her get away! Master doesn't want you to harm her!"

Cursing in her thoughts, Juvia whispered "_**Water Cane" **_and formed a whip of water in her hand. Taking a step back, Juvia readied the whip and sliced through the lock and chain, creating a rattling noise as it fell to the ground.

"Over there!"

Juvia wasted no time opening the door and shutting it once she passed through. She was able to balance herself in her heels so she couldn't fall down into the sharp rubble of the ruins, since the floor was no more. She jumped over the ledge and landed on a patch of rock and dirt, breaking the heels of her dress shoes. Yanking them off, Juvia stood barefoot and began hurrying to make her way through the ruins of the castle. She ignored the pain of her feet getting poked and sliced by sharp rocks and probably some glass from thrown bottles.

The area was somewhat like a maze at the edge of the cliff, where crashing waves of the ocean and sharp rocks were at the bottom. On the other side was a crumbling wall that remained standing tall for the castle - where Juvia hoped Lyon and the rest of the party made through and head in to the city for safety.

Her arms becoming numb, from using her strength and anger in to the limbs forcefully, she exhaled tiredly as she made it to the farthest edge of the wall, yet there was no accessible way for Juvia to crawl through a hole or climb over rubble to the other side.

Her side hitting against a ruined foundation, Juvia tried to think over her plan of escape. She had to get out of here, otherwise she could have to keep on fighting with energy that she didn't have any more.

_Stupid! Stupid! _Juvia scolded herself and slapped her hand to her forehead. _I shouldn't have boiled so much water! _she screamed in her head.

Boiling water too hot causes her body to heat up and tire out, thus making any water in her body that she could use for combat fairly little of use. If she was smart, she could have scalded her enemies instead of boiling them alive…

But everything was getting to be too much for her.

Being revealed to everyone who trusted her that she's a Mage.

Fighting when she **promised **herself that she wouldn't go back to the past…

Seeing him -

"Juvia."

Her dark eyes snapping open, Juvia pushed herself up and in a defensive stance and faced Gray, who was alone. His whole body language was relaxed yet strong in his shoulders. His rusty eyes looked her over, and his eyebrows suddenly furrowed in worry. She didn't let her body falter to his unusual response to her current attire.

"What are you _doing_, Juvia?" he sighed, just like he used to when he would find her in a situation where he would question her _just like that. _He took a step forward and stopped when she stiffened and bared her teeth at him.

"Don't you dare come near me!" she warned darkly, causing Gray to stop in his tracks and tilt his head at her.

"It's just me, Juvia. I told them to stay back and let me handle this alone. No one is going to hurt you," he explained. "You don't need to put up a wall in front of _me."_

He took another step, and Juvia formed her arms into liquid, sharpening them to a point as she readied herself to strike. "Juvia said to _stay back!" _she screamed. "Stay away!"

His eyes hardened, yet his forehead creased in concern. "I figured you would be happier to see me. It's been about nine years, you know. Don't you-?"

"You're not my Gray-sama," she hissed at him, making his jaw clench at her interruption. "You may be Gray, but you are not _my Gray-sama. _Stay back!"

"Stop this, Juvia," Gray snapped finally, his normal hand reaching up to pinch his nose. "You're making this difficult when it doesn't need to be."

"What do you want from Juvia?" she demanded in a shout, a gust of wind hitting her back and made her shiver at the amount of exposed skin she had to the night. "Why have you attacked Juvia's office like that? What do you want? _Why did you kill those people?"_

Opening his eyes, Gray raised his head out of his hand and looked at her with the expression of happiness, yet longing. His lips quirked into a smirk and he pushed his bangs back with both of his hands. "They were in my way to find you. They tried stopping us, so I ordered them to be put out. They're weak, you know-"

"You're not Gray-sama," Juvia whispered icily at him, making him drop his hands from his head. "Gray-sama would never killed innocent people like that. Gray-sama would never attack anyone and hurt them! You. Are not. Gray-sama."

"Of course I am," he chuckled darkly, tilting his head at her. "Sure, I may look different now - I left the home and the Guild and went MIA for a while - but there's one thing that hasn't changed all these years, Juvia."

He took a step forward and held his hands, as if she were to go to him for a warm embrace that looked so _familiar. _She took a few steps back and realized that she was now on the edge of the cliff by the end of the wall of the ruins. She could smell the salty water miles beneath her.

"Juvia," he exhaled softly, his eyes gleaming red, "I love you."

Her heart stopped. Her whole body froze and she regained her arms back as she stared wide-eyed at Gray, her lower lip shaking in chills and shock as tears swelled in her eyes. This caused him to smile, seeing her relaxed that way.

"G-Gray...sama..?" she whispered shakingly.

He began walking towards her, his arms reaching to wrap around her. "It's me, Juvia. Come to me-"

_SLASH!_

Shards of his white coat fluttered in front of him, causing his red eyes to widen in utter shock. Juvia's hand had transformed into liquid and sharped quick enough to cause a large cut on his coat, angry tears slipping from her eyes as glared deadly to him, no signs of surprise or sadness left in her expressions as she stood up straight…

And fell backward and down to the cold, cold ocean water.

"_JUVIA!" _Gray screamed, unable to reach for her.

Colliding with a sharp rock to her side, Juvia winced and curled herself to brace impact into the ocean. She knew well enough that Gray's ice could not freeze salt water at all, the salt too strong against his freezing powers, yet Juvia had the advantage. It wasn't going to restore her body with fresh water, but it will do enough to shield her under the depths of blue and breathe just as clear as day. Once hitting the water and sinking deeper into the water, Juvia breathed in the cold water and exhaled slowly, eyes opening to the beautiful pattern of the ocean's surface.

Juvia blinked and plunged her body into a 360 twist, bringing water to her feet as she pushed herself further into the ocean, and away from the man screaming her name.

Back to the edge of the cliff, Gray watched with a heaving chest as Juvia's body disappeared into the dark water. He could hear the calls of his men approaching him, causing him to stand up with a very agitated look on his face.

"Master! She got away?" Sol questioned and looked over the edge. "Shall we follow her or-?"

Gray grasped Sol's collar with his black hand, choking him as his grip constricted the material around his neck. "None of you pathetic fools are capable of catching _anything _in salt water. She's consumed by her element now, you idiot!"

Sol whimpered and Gray threw him against the rubble of the a ruin. Turning around with a deadly glare on the Mages who cowered in fright. "We're heading back," he snarled darkly. "Call back to HQ and have them send me more men."

"M-Master Gray..?"

"Get to it!"

=xxx=

"_Do you know what a Guild is, Miss Lockser?" Master Makarov asked one day, finding Juvia sitting on the ground with Gray. Her chin had been wrapped with gauze and her palms were healing with band-aids, and Gray had stayed by her side when she ventured out of her bedroom. She was holding her Sleeping Beauty book again, and watching Gray work on his homework on the ground with her. "Have your parents ever told you about them?"_

"_Guilds are...Mages who take jobs for the government," Juvia peeped after thinking about it for a moment, catching Gray's attention from his math problems. "Most Mages work in teams, and are legal to use their magic in the use of jobs given by the government, Juvia thinks. Some are solo, and work more privately. Mages in Guilds have special tattoos on part of their body. Juvia has seen them before when Mommy and Daddy introduced her to them at parties."_

"_Very good, Miss Lockser," Makarov grinned and patted her head, making the shy girl smile a little bit. Gray watched her smile before grinning to himself and resuming his work. "Did you know that Fairy Tail is a Guild? When you're older, you get to take jobs to help people in need and get to show people that you're a good person."_

_Juvia's eyes widened in awe, hugging the book tighter to her. Makarov chuckled and sat with the two children, crossing his legs. "Like Gray right now, he's taking classes," he pat Gray's messy head, who grumbled and leaned away from his touch. "Some classes are like what Human children learn, and others are classes that teach you how to use your powers for good and get stronger. All of the other kids are in those classes, even your friends."_

"_Oh…" Juvia blinked curiously, trying to think of what Lucy, Levy and all of her other friends were doing with their powers that she has yet to see._

"_I'm just wondering, Juvia," Makarov said gently, "if you would like to take part in those classes and become part of a Guild with your friends. We'll teach you how to use your powers for the good of the world, and you can go on adventures and spread good. And," Makarov looked at Gray with a frown," I think Gray could use some help on his homework. He's simply horrible in working with other kids, especially Natsu."_

"_Shuddap, Gramps!" Gray scowled and turned away from him with flushed cheeks. "Not my fault that the fire-ass is too stupid to pay attention!"_

_Makarov huffed and looked to Juvia again, his fatherly eyes sparkling at her. "What do you think, Juvia? Would you like to be in a Guild? We can get you started in classes after your birthday next week…"_

"_Your birthday is next week?" Gray gawked at her, causing her to blush and hide her face against her book. "C'mon, Juvia! Say you'll join, please!"_

_Peeking up, Juvia flushed brighter and looked out the window, seeing the sunshine filter into the room beautifully. "J-Juvia would like to be in a Guild, M-Master Makarov…"_

_Makarov grinned ear-to-ear and Gray simply cheered at having a better partner for his classes. It made Juvia's heart flutter at the pure joy she was feeling inside her body, making her close her eyes and hug her book. _

I'll make you proud, Mommy and Daddy_, she thought with a blissful sigh. _I'll be in Fairy Tail's Guild and protect everyone.

"_Gray! Stop lagging around and finish your math homework!"_

"_C'mon, Gramps. Don't be such a sore lo-!" _SMACK! "_Oww! What was that for?"_

The sound of seagulls and the intense burn of her dried throat woke Juvia from her slumber in the hot sand.

Bleary eyes blinked opened as she slowly rolled to her back, heaving a tired breath as she looked up to the clear sky. Her left ribs, legs and arms were absolutely sore, and she probably looked like a trainwreck in her torn up dress, shoeless feet and messy hair. Taking a moment to regulate her breathing the air, Juvia forced herself to sit up and pat the sand off of her skin.

Looking around, the sea was calm and peaceful and noises behind her made Juvia realized that there was a town or city behind her. Turning her head, Juvia instantly noticed a back of a bathhouse at the edge of the beach she washed up to. Standing, Juvia limped her way over to the building, noticing the lack of people and activity, making her assume that it was early morning in time.

She rounded to the actual entrance of the bathhouse, going through the door and hearing the little welcoming bell chime above her head. The lobby was tiny and quiet, the little pattering of sets of feet coming through the door behind the receptionist desk. Two women emerged, one younger and the other a bit older, both wearing a uniform to fit the occupation of a black maid-like dress and long waist-below apron.

"Hello, and welcome to our-! Oh…" the older woman blinked at the horrid sight of Juvia's tired body. Thankfully, the tear in her dress with the Guild tattoo was currently covered. "Sorry, dear. We can't have the homeless come in to our business during working hours. We just opened."

"Bath, please," Juvia said with a dry throat, not bothering to meet their staring eyes. She knew she had her card hidden in the top of her dress, right under her breasts. She could pay for it like a normal customer. "I can pay…"

"Look, we can't have people like you coming in like _that," _the younger one said none too gently, making Juvia frown deeper. "Get out of here or we will call the-!"

Juvia's hand shot up, putting both women into a trance that made their faces blank and bodies stiff as a rock. Walking further into the lobby and to the desk, Juvia leaned with her free arm on the receptionist desk. Dark blue eyes finally coming up, Juvia tiredly held her hand in the air.

"You will prepare Juvia a cold bath, please," she said dryly. Her head swaying tiredly as the women nodded stiffly. "Cold bath with a bucket of wash. Clean towels, soap and shampoo. Juvia will need some fresh, clean clothes - with shoes and brush for her hair."

"Anything else, ma'am?" the younger woman asked in a robotic tone, her hands twitching. "Any drinks, food that you may like? Would you like private or public bath?"

"Juvia wants her bath to be secluded," she exhaled, thinking things over. "If it is not too much trouble, please bring me water to drink and...maybe some food. Nothing that requires you to work too much. Juvia needs you to keep watch over her bath, please. You will not ask any questions or let any customer know that I am here."

Releasing the two women, her hand falling limp to the counter, Juvia watched them blink back into reality and offer the friendliest smiles to her. The younger picked out a key for the private bath and went out of the counter.

"Follow me, ma'am," she said politely. "I will bring you your bucket and some clothes that will fit you!" Heading down the hallway, Juvia followed the employee with shaking steps after bowing to the older woman, who stayed at the desk dutifully. It was in the far back of the bathhouse, and the women went in first to start the cold water to fill the tub. Juvia entered the room and began undressing from her torn attire, picking out her apartment key, her card and her ID that states she's Human.

Juvia looked at her photo ID for a moment before dropping it into the clothes basket and took her dress and undergarments off. When the woman finished filling the tub and brought out the bucket filled with a shampoo bottle, conditioner, soap and a scrubber and brush, Juvia stood naked as she held out her old clothes to her.

"Please, get rid of these," she instructed with a pointed look to her dress.

The woman nodded with a smile and took the gross clothes. "I will bring you new clothes and your drink, ma'am."

She left Juvia alone then, closing the door behind her as the blue-haired woman sat on the little stool and reached for the sprinkler and shampoo bottle. She began scrubbing the salt out of her hair and scrubbed her skin with the scrubber brush to the point her skin was getting red. She applied more shampoo and even more soap when she could still feel the grainy texture on her scalp and shoulders.

The woman came back with one of the uniform dresses and a pair of sandals. She also added in fresh underwear and a bra for Juvia that will fit her, which pleased her greatly. Along with three bottles of water, the woman brought some fruit; Juvia was quick to uncap the bottle of water and chug it down as quick as possibly, still covered in bubbles and lathered shampoo all over her body. The wound on her ribs slowly stitched itself back together, repairing tissue and skin and hydrated Juvia's body after the second bottle of water.

The third was still consumed just as desperately in front of the employee, who watched with blank, hypnotic eyes.

"Will there be anything else, ma'am?" she asked after Juvia dried out all the bottled of water.

Juvia shook her head and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "No, thank you very much… Just please be on guard for Juvia." The woman bowed obediently and left Juvia to finally rinse the salt and grime off of her body.

Tangling her hands in her hair to rinse the suds out, Juvia was able to comb out the butterfly-pin that miraculously stayed in place during her battle and swim. Pulling it out of her hair, Juvia rubbed her thumb across the yellow pin, thinking instantly about Lyon and her co-workers…

The scared face of the older co-worker who clung to Juvia's hand.

The shocked faces of Juvia's friends when they saw her Guild tattoo.

The reporter mourning on Juvia over the death of her cameraman.

Carefully placing her gift into the basket with her keys and cards, Juvia shut off the sprinkler and achingly crawled to the tub, where the icy water welcomed her body. Like a healer, the water soothed Juvia's aching bones and fixed her body and mind like a sparkling spring. Juvia's body would be good as new thanks to fresh water - not that the ocean didn't help a little, but the salts were a bit too much for Juvia's health - and, once she exits the bath, it will be as if Juvia never experienced what happened last night.

Laying her head against the edge, Juvia breathed slowly and let the water do their work for her. Slowly, she lulled to a light slumber when she sensed the employee approach and sit in front of the closed door of Juvia's bathing room.

_Juvia blinked confusedly at the white paper bag with a pink heart being held out to her. It was the night of her birthday, and all the girls in the girl corridors gathered in to Juvia's room after dinner and preparing for bed. Their bellies filled with cake and the idea of continuing the party for "Just us girls", Erza had said, Juvia wasn't expecting a knock on her bedroom door since all of the girls were present._

_When she opened the door, she was even more surprised to find Gray in his pajama-pants and shoving a bag in her face._

"_Gray-sama?" she asked, causing the giggling girls to grow quiet. Tilting her head, Juvia looked at the bag with a confused frown. "What is Gray-sama doing?"_

_He didn't look at her, looking anywhere else with his ears tinted pink as he took another step and forced the bag to Juvia's small hands. Juvia eventually held the bag by the handles and looked at the boy once more._

"_Happy birthday," he mumbled, shoving his hands into his pajama pockets. He pouted when she tried to look at his face and swung his body to the side. "Happy birthday, Juvia."_

_Juvia slowly smiled at him, even if he couldn't see it. "Thank you, Gray-sama."_

_Gray blinked and exhaled with a troubled sigh. Looking at her now, he opened his mouth. "I-!"_

"_GRAY!" Erza's harsh, motherly voice howled out the door, and Juvia peeked behind her to see the older girl standing on Juvia's bed with Mirajane crossing her arms. "You know the rules! No boys in the girls corridor after daylight! Don't make me get you, idiot!"_

_Gray blanched and paled at the sight of Erza cracking her knuckles, excusing himself from Juvia and taking off into the dark hallway, disappearing from Juvia's sight. Juvia had no choice but to close her bedroom door and look at the bag with a confused expression._

"_What'cha get, Ju-vi-a-chan?" Lucy asked when she saw Juvia return to the circle and sat down. Looking at the bag, Lucy's eyes lit up with glitter. "Ohh! You got a present from Gray? What is it?"_

"_Juvia doesn't know…" she confessed quietly, her cheeks burning._

"_Well? Open it!" Mirajane encouraged, plopping down on the bed with Erza. Even though the two girls would bicker and fight constantly, they promised to behave in Juvia's room._

_All the girls watched closely as Juvia slowly opened the top of the bag and reached inside. Juvia froze for only a second before pulling out a large, white ball of a stuffed plush, turning it around to see a stitched smile and eyes grinning friendly to her and airbrushed pink on the cheeks. Juvia's eyes widened and her mouth opened in surprise._

"_Teru-teru-bozu!" Levy awed cutely, smiling when Lucy giggled sweetly at Juvia's flushed expression. "And it's one of the big ones!"_

"_Now that I think of it..." Lisanna chirped in, having all of the girls but Juvia turn to her. "Yeah, I saw Gray go to the store that has the teru-teru-bozu dolls today. Juvia wasn't with us and Elfman and I were going to get chocolate for the frosting on Juvia's cake when I saw him…"_

"_G-Gray-sama...got Juvia a present?" Juvia whispered shyly, her cheeks reddening deeper by each passing moment._

_Erza crossed her arms and gave an approving nod. "It seems that Gray is finally getting his head out of the gutters," she teased and winked to Juvia._

"_E-eh?" Juvia gasped and hugged the doll to her chest. It felt so much more softer and sweeter than hugging the book to her heart. "J-Juvia doesn't u-understand Erza-nee!"_

_All of the girls only smiled and giggled to themselves. Juvia didn't let it go until Lucy began snuggling the birthday girl and giving her eight kisses on her cheek for good growth. The rest of the night was nothing but Juvia spending time with her newfound friends and falling asleep on Cana's lap with Lucy, and the teru-teru-bozu doll held close to her heart._

Juvia dressed in the uniform and rolled up the sleeves to her shoulders, tying the rope around her waist to bring out the curves of her body and twisting the skirt of the uniform to her other leg where her tattoo was present, letting her clear thigh stick through the opening. She did fairly well to turn the uniform into an everyday outfit, pulling her wavy locks up to a messy ponytail with the butterfly-pin. Putting on the sandals given to her, Juvia returned to the still-empty lobby to see the TV on the news channel, both of the employees watching the breaking news.

"_Last night's attack at the annual E.N.D. event has left forty-six people dead, and the number just keeps going higher as officials continue to search the remains of the crime scene," _a male reporter said to the camera, at the side of the police tape and a clear view of firefighters, cops and ambulances crowding the top of the drive circle were the big gash of the wall was visible. "_All the security that was positioned last night to ensure safety to the attendees were killed horribly by Mages, as well as the cityfolk who watched the entrances of the E.N.D. corporation were slaughtered outside the gates._

"_The partygoers, who were able to escape the attack within the grand hall through a secret doorway in the room that was a catering headquarters were able to carry as many injured people out of the building. The survivors were taken to the hospital right away when the department arrived, finding them in shock over the whole ordeal."_

Juvia watched as replayed footage, possibly from a passerby's camera, shaking showed a blurred crowd of people being escorted by law enforcements to ambulances and any available vehicle who would take them to the hospital. "_Many of the guests to the event are still missing, and the names of the missing are not yet given out until searchers have recovered all the possible bodies in the ruins. We are not given permission to ask any of the survivors questions, nor get any closer to the scene. It is guessed by some that there may be dozens of men and women still stuck inside."_

"Oh, how sad," the older woman frowned and shook her head, causing Juvia to peel her eyes away from the TV. "This is why I couldn't stand living in the city, you know, my dear?" she looked to the other woman. "Too many suspicious crap going on in Fiore City. I couldn't handle it."

Juvia went over to the desk, catching both women's attention. "Tell Juvia, where are we? Are we not in Fiore City?"

The women, still under her impression of hypnosis, shook their heads. "We are in Cedar Town, ma'am," the younger one said softly.

Juvia's breath hitched, leaning to the desk and holding her head carefully to keep from passing out. "Thank goodness, too," the older woman sighed. "A two day train trip from Fiore City and hopefully far enough from all that crime going on. I just hope no one else is harmed…"

Juvia grabbed the older woman's shoulder, catching her attention with a surprised jump. "Please, tell Juvia, what part of Cedar are we in?"

"Oh, the east…"

Juvia's heart fluttered as she nodded in understanding, a watery smile on her lips. "Thank you both." She pushed herself out of the door and into the public eye, jumping into the awakening town of Cedar. Her memory fluttering lightly to a departing moments in her life.

"_We're going to live in Cedar, Juvia-chan. They're a safe place to raise kids at, and I'm sure Natsu and I will love to try and raise Wendy and our own kids there!"_

"_We are gonna settle in Cedar Town. The activity for Mages are low, and Jellal doesn't have a record over there. We're going to give it a shot."_

"_I heard all the cute men are hiding somewhere over there… I'm going to go hunting, Juvia. Make sure you visit me when you get the chance, okay?"_

.

.

.

=xxx=

AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE - I am a piece of trash and I like it.


	7. Chapter 7

You guys are very sweet and I appreciate every Review a receive from you guys. Please keep up the good work in Reviewing, Following, Favoriting or whichever - it really helps me work a tad bit faster in updating.

You all have a wonderful day, and I love you guys!

=xxx=

.

.

.

Sleeping Beauty

No one was looking at Juvia, and if they did glance at her, they didn't give her a second look. It was a good sign for her, really, blending in with the rest of the community with no suspicious glares. It was still early in the morning - Juvia found a outdoor clock reading seven - so she knew right offhand that her destination would have occupants still slumbering inside on the weekend. Looking around the buildings and streets, Juvia found no familiar sense of disturbance in the air, the sun was shining brightly and the faint noise of boat horns could be heard in the distance. Getting deeper into the town and going uphill, Juvia was starting to remember these streets from her past visits.

Looking at street signs and using her hands to shade the sun out of her eyes, Juvia crossed the street and entered a neighborhood of quiet, cozy homes. A couple of people were out letting their pets take a morning leak or preparing to head in to town, yet no one looked her way as she walked steadily down the street.

Seeing a bricked, two-story house with a blue door, Juvia's heart pattered against her ribs as she past by the mailbox reading _Marvell Family _and the white fence keeping pests out. Walking up the step and coming face-to-face with the blue door, Juvia hesitated for a moment before clenching her fist.

Juvia knocked, loud enough for someone inside to hear, yet gentle on the outside so no one would wonder why a woman is trying to waken a household. She waited for about a few minutes, when the tiny pattering of paws scrambled around the front door and scampered off. Smiling softly, Juvia recognized the paws padding on the wooden floor and hushed voices hurrying away somewhere.

Juvia inhaled and exhaled, hearing slow, tired feet coming to the door and unlocking the bolt. When the door opened, Juvia met the sleepy gaze of a salmon-colored hair and tanned face of her beloved friend that she hasn't seen in a long while.

"Wassa ya wan…" Natsu groggily, his eyes still closed and rubbing under his eyes with his knuckle. "We dun wanna buy nuthin'... Too early, man..."

"Natsu-san," Juvia said softly, causing her friend's face to scrunch up for a second.

Cracking his eyes open, Natsu cleared his vision and blinked at the form of Juvia coming through, his black eyes widening then. Juvia gave him a shy smile and kept her tears at bay, seeing Natsu splutter nonsense and waking up more each second.

"L-L...Lu-L...Lucy…" Natsu called behind him, twisting his head for a second to look behind him. "L-Lucy! Wake up! It's _Juvia_, she's okay! H-Happy, Carla, w-wake up Lucy!"

"Aye sir!" a childish squawk caught Juvia's ears as she heard the pattering feet fade off again. Natsu didn't waste time to yank Juvia inside and shut the door quickly, locking the door as fast as he could. "Luuucyyy! Wake uuup!" Happy sang in the distance.

Juvia, in the dimmed lit room of the entranceway of the house, watched as the blue talking cat tug on a pink pajama leg, guiding a stumbling blonde with large breasts and a nasty bedhead out of the living room. At her shoulders, a white feline with wings was holding the woman upright, so she wouldn't fall.

"What's wrong…" Lucy hummed groggily, her eyes also closed like Natsu was a few moments ago. "Did Natsu fall asleep by the fridge again?"

"Lucy," Natsu chuckled with wet eyes as he jumped to his wife's sluggish body. He carefully grasped her shoulder with one hand and rubbed her cheek with his other, rousing her awake quicker. "Lucy, babe, open your eyes and see who's here!"

Brown eyes cracked open and looked over Natsu's shoulder with a bored and exhausted sigh. It only took a second for Lucy's adrenaline to pump her fully alarmed as she covered her mouth with both hands to keep down her scream. Tears instantly flooded and slipped from her pretty eyes, as her shoulder shook. This caused Juvia to frown.

"Juvia should have called, I know," she said quietly, watching as Natsu moved to wrap an arm around his wife and face the blue-haired woman. "And...Juvia knows that Cana-nee and Erza-nee and Jellal live here, too, but she forgets where they live. Juvia is sorry for waking you up so early-!"

"Damn it, Juvia-chan!" Lucy cried out in a choked sob as she launched herself at the blue-haired woman, wrapping her arms around Juvia and buried her face into her pale neck. She was sobbing hard and her vice grip on Juvia's makeshift outfit made guest stumble and hold on to Lucy's weight by wrapping her arms around her in return. "Do you know _scared _I was last night? You know how scared I was, Juvia-chan?"

Juvia bit her lip as she gently rubbed the blonde's back, resting her cheek against her head. "Juvia is sorry, Lucy-chan," she mumbled quietly, unconsciously gripping her friend's pink pajamas. "Juvia is so sorry…"

Lucy whined and buried her face deeper into Juvia's neck. Both of the girls slowly sunk to the floor, clinging to each other and crying their eyes out as Natsu chuckled a teary grin, before kneeling down and hugging them both tightly.

=xxx=

Eventually, the three Mages and two cats made it to the living room that was a distance from the front door. It was small, yet very homey with the white-leathered couches and a brown table in the middle, the TV against the wall. Juvia sat between the cats on one couch, a steaming cup of tea in her hands, while Natsu and Lucy sat across from her; Natsu's muscular arm was behind Lucy, his thumb gently rubbing her shoulder while she fiddled with the front of her buttoned top.

"We watched you on TV," Lucy said over the course of the silence, her voice small. "Wendy stayed up to see you wave to the camera - I told her that you would wave to her, and she was excited - and once you waved after arriving, Carla and Happy took her to bed so we could keep watching."

Happy's paw prodded Juvia's black uniform, sniffing at it while Carla looked her over and over the woman silently. Juvia nodded, letting Lucy continue. "We saw bits and pieces of you from then on. The camera got you dancing and that was about it. Then, there was the rumbling. The reporter and cameraman were talking and said it must've been an earthquake? Then, it happened again and there was an explosion…"

"The camera fell and there were screams," Natsu finished for her, noticing how the blonde woman was becoming more quiet. "The station cut the connection and went back to the desk, saying there was some interruption. It took them a good five minutes to say what was going on."

Juvia's shoulders slouched, looking to her tea. "From what I understand, the man who was holding the camera got his head crushed from debri. He died pretty quickly. Juvia met the reporter, the woman in the red dress doing the event special, and she told Juvia."

"Where were you when the explosion happened?" Natsu asked with a tilt of his head, blinking.

"Juvia was with her boss, closer to the fountain in the hall," she answered, using a hand to gesture the distance. "Sort've near the staircase and fountain, so Juvia didn't get large rocks her way...Juvia's boss shielded her with his body, so I may be wrong."

"We tried calling your apartment so many times," Lucy whispered, closing her eyes. She ran a hand through her messy hair. "Everyone was calling each other to see if anyone heard from you, but no one was able to know what happened. Oh my God, Juvia-chan, we thought you were _dead."_

Juvia gave a weak smile. "Lucy-chan knows that it takes more to kill Juvia than flying rocks," she said, making her friend give a hiccup of a half-laugh and half-cry. Juvia set the teacup on the coaster and sat back, picking up Happy and setting him on her lap, rubbing his ears carefully. The mutant cat smiled for a moment at the attention he was receiving before bending his head back up to her.

"How did you get here, Juvia?" Happy asked, staring up at her. "These aren't the same clothes you were wearing last night."

"Juvia jumped into the ocean. Juvia had to swim, and woke up in Cedar Town."

"What?" Natsu gawked and Lucy's eyes snapped wide open. "The hell make you do that? Didn't you escape with the survivors? We saw on the news that ambulances found them in the garden ruins. You know, they have a wall blocked off so no one could get near the edge of the cliffs?""

Juvia's face fell, eyes closing. "Juvia needs to tell you the truth," she breathed. "The attack at E.N.D. and the attack at the hall are from the same Mages. They broke into Juvia's office, looking for her. Juvia had to fight back to protect everyone when they arrived to the event, otherwise they would have killed more people."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Lucy asked worriedly. "Why didn't you tell us when Erza-nee and Cana-nee and I called you that night about the break in?"

"Juvia didn't want to tell you who broke in," Juvia said quietly. "Juvia thought it was a fake, but now she knows better to say it wasn't. It was a mistake, and Juvia should have told everyone right away when asked..."

"Juvia?"

She didn't notice that both of her hands were in tight fists beside Happy. The talking Exceed, a mutant animal with Mage abilities, pressed each paw on her tight knuckles in a comforting pet. Carla, too, reached and touched her paw gently and rubbed the pads soothingly on her skin. Juvia shut her eyes and breathed, keeping her sadness down and the sky open outside, letting the sun shine.

"It was Gray," she said finally, letting silence take over. It was as if time stopped in the room, heartbeats and breathing could be only heard. Opening her eyes, Juvia saw Happy and Carla looking at her with disbelief in their eyes. "Juvia understands how absurd it sounds, but...it was Gray who attacked. Gray is alive."

She looked up to see her friends still as statues. Natsu scoffed and strained to figure out what to say in response. "That can't be true, Juvia. I mean…" he blinked and clenched and unclenched his hands. "Gray went missing _years _ago. Everyone was looking for him and no one found him! Gramps came to the conclusion that he died. You were there, Ju-!"

"Juvia knows that!" Juvia huffed. "Juvia knows that she was the last to see Gray-sama alive on that mission. Juvia helped look for him when she was able to walk after her injuries, and not finding any trace of Gray-sama. Juvia knows that Master Makarov concluded that he died on the way home..!"

"Juvia-chan, _shhh_," Lucy cooed softly and got up from her spot. She went around the table and Carla crawled off the couch for her to sit next to Juvia and wrap her arms around her tight. Lucy pressed her cheek on Juvia's quivering shoulder. "We know. We didn't mean it that way, Juvia-chan. Shhh…"

"B-but, it wasn't _Gray-sama," _Juvia whispered, causing Natsu to pause his apology and Lucy to pull back and look at her in surprise. "This man, he is Gray, but not the Gray-sama Juvia _knows."_

"What do you mean, Juvia?" Natsu asked in the same volume as her.

Juvia shut her eyes and pulled Happy closer to her in her lap, her hands gentle, who in return snuggled his large head on her arm. "He had the same look, the same smile...his hair and skin was like Gray-sama," she shuddered. "B-but...his eyes weren't black anymore - they were red - and he had th-this..? I don't know what it was," she unwrapped her arms from Happy and used her hand to move around her right arm and a part of her face. "Juvia saw he had a _black marking_ from his hand and up to his face, like a scar. He didn't even have his tattoo on anymore."

"The Guild mark?" Natsu scrunched his face, pointing to his right pectoral. "He didn't have his tattoo here?"

Juvia shook his head. "His voice is like Gray-sama, he looks like Gray-sama… But he's not Juvia's Gray-sama."

"That can't be possible...the tattoo can't disappear for Mages. At least, not as easily. It would've left a scar anyway if you removed it," Lucy explained, pulling her sleeve back to show the pink tattoo on her right hand. "You still have yours, right?"

Juvia pulled her skirt up to show her blue Guild tattoo to Lucy, who exhaled in relief. "The black marks wouldn't have covered his tattoo, but it wasn't there… Gray-sama would never kill anyone either. Not so brutally and merciless..."

"We saw on the news that they counted the bodies past sixty now, mostly cops and the security E.N.D. hired," Natsu crossed his arms. "They wouldn't give any names of who they found, but all of the injured and survivors were taken to Fiore City's hospital. Erza and Jellal tried calling to see if you were there, too, but the lines were busy."

"Juvia, are you _sure _it was Gray?" Lucy asked softly, her hand on Juvia's shoulder. "Couldn't it have been someone who looks like him, maybe? Someone who copied his appearance to throw you off? It could have been a convicted Mage, or-!"

"He told Juvia that he loved her, like the way Gray-sama used to say it to Juvia," she said, shutting Lucy up instantly. "No one could ever imitate Gray-sama saying that. Not even Lucy-chan's Gemini could do that."

Lucy and Natsu glanced at each other with frowns on their faces. Juvia sighed and gently stroked Happy's head, unable to look up any more. She felt tired.

"You swam all the way to Cedar from Fiore City," Lucy whispered gently, pulling Juvia's head to rest on her shoulder. She cooed softly and gently rocked the blue-haired woman. "You know that's a two day train ride from there, at full speed and no stops at most...You used a lot of your energy, didn't you, Juvia-chan? The saltwater could have caused irritation in your body, if you use too much of it at once, right?"

"Juvia went to a bathhouse and had to trick the employees to let her clean up and get rid of her clothes, too," she confessed with a hoarse voice. Lucy sighed and asked if she used her hypnosis, which Juvia nodded. "It's okay, Juvia just needs to relax."

"That's why you smell weird with this on," Happy blinked and sniffed at Juvia's outfit once more. "It blocks your natural scent very well, Juvia. I don't think any Mage with a tracking talent can pick you up at all. Not even Natsu could smell you, right?"

Natsu shrugged with a half-smile. "Couldn't even tell it was you until I opened my eyes. I thought you were some business lady trying to sell me something."

Carla's ears perked to the opening in the room. "Wendy is waking up," she stated matter-of-factly, already walking out of the room. Juvia slowly sat herself up and collected herself quickly and Lucy stood up as well, her hand brushing the top of Juvia's head in a comforting pet that she used to do when they were both younger.

"Juvia would like to see Wendy," Juvia softly said, letting Happy jump off her lap.

Natsu offered a toothy grin, making his wife smile a little bit. "You know that Wendy already prepared the guest room for you this summer? You can rest up in there, if you want."

"And Natsu and I will call everyone to let them know that you're okay, Juvia-chan. If we can, we can organize them to come here and we will talk more tomorrow night, after you rest," Lucy added in a hush. "We still have some of your clothes from last time you visited, probably some of your pjs. You can always borrow mine."

"Mamaaa," Wendy's sleepy voice yawned into the soft conversation. Turning their heads, the adults and blue cat saw Carla guiding Wendy in to the living room. The young girl with deep-purple hair and flushed cheeks rubbed her face with one hand while the other held on to Carla's white paw. "Mamaaa, Papaaa, I had a bad dream," she mumbled, nearly tripping over her long pajama pants.

"Did you, sweetie?" Lucy pouted and held her arms out to receive the stumbling child and hauled her into her warm hug. "What was it about, Wendy?" she asked while kissing the little girl's cheek.

"I dreamed that there was a monster under my bed, and it tried to eat meee," Wendy groggily whined, smushing her cheek to Lucy's shoulder after she got a kiss to the cheek. "I tried calling for Papa, but he couldn't hear me."

"Bah, Wendyyy!" Natsu gruffed and crossed his arms sadly. "You know I will always come and fight monsters under your bed! I'll get all fired up for the fight!"

"I know, Papa," Wendy hummed and cracked her eyes open, instantly catching eye contact with Juvia, who was silent and had a tiny smile on her face. Blinking, Wendy raised her head and looked at the woman with confused eyes. "Aunt Juvia?"

"Hi Wendy," Juvia said quietly. "Juvia didn't mean to wake Wendy up."

Wendy instantly smiled brightly and let Lucy turn around so that her tiny arms can reach out to her. Juvia willingly took the child from Lucy and hugged her tight. Wendy instantly inhaled Juvia's scent and blushed, nuzzling her face into her shoulder. "I saw you wave on camera last night, Aunt Juvia," she giggled brightly. "You looked so pretty!"

"Thank you, Wendy," Juvia said and ran her fingers through the girl's hair. "Wendy is up very early, and Wendy went to bed late to see Juvia on TV, hmm?"

"Yeah, I did. I'm still sleepy. I'm happy you're here, Aunt Juvia..." she gurgled and began dozing off. It only took another minute for the girl to fall back asleep in Juvia's arm, causing the blue-haired woman to grin and snuggle her cheek against her soft hair.

Looking to Lucy and Natsu, who smiled at the sight and held hands tightly, Juvia carefully stood with the child in her arms. "May I take Wendy back to bed and tuck her in?"

"Sure thing," Natsu smiled brightly, slipping his hand out of Lucy's only to wrap his arm around her back and pulled her closer by the hip and then stood up from the couch. "She missed you a lot, Juvia. She might cling to you, if you're not careful."

"Follow us, Juvia!" Happy instructed with a wave of his paw. "We can tickle her off of you, if she clings."

"Juvia doesn't mind," Juvia smiled in return, following both of the cats who lead the way to the stairs. Lucy and Natsu watched as the blue-haired woman carried their adopted daughter back to her room.

Lucy slowly wrapped her arms around Natsu's torso, resting her head on his shoulder as she exhaled quietly. "Do you think it's true, Natsu? Do you think Gray is still alive, after all that happened..?"

"I don't know," Natsu mumbled, running a hand through his hair before holding her closer to him. He pressed his mouth to her soft hair, giving her a soft kiss. "We found her covered in blood and no signs of Gray...I guess it could be possible…"

Lucy glanced up to her husband's stern face. "If he is _alive_," Natsu said through his teeth, "there's no doubt that there is going to be trouble, with what he caused in Fiore City."

Juvia had no trouble tucking the young child back in bed, since Wendy felt the familiar material of her blankets and sheets, she instantly snuggled back into a curled ball. Pulling the thick blanket to Wendy's chin, Juvia barely heard the girl ask for her plush, which fell from the bed when she got up to look for her parents. Juvia found the plush on the ground, the one she made for Wendy's birthday a few years back.

The doll looked exactly like Wendy, with angel wings on her back and a cute dress with little birds and wings. Juvia remembered how happy Wendy was when she opened her gift, keeping it by her side no matter what - even photos Lucy would send to Juvia via email, holiday cards and even conversations had Wendy with her trusted doll with her.

Tucking the doll to her niece, Juvia watched as the sleeping child wrapped her arm around her doll and snuggled her cheek to its soft face. Smiling, Juvia pressed a small kiss to Wendy's forehead and got up, the two cats following her feet and closed the door behind them.

Lucy was waiting outside the room, fresh, more better clothes folded in her hands. Juvia blinked at the expression on her dear friend's face. "Natsu turned on the news and it looks like they found a Mage's body in the ballroom," Lucy said quietly, handing the clothes to her. They were Juvia's more leisure wear summer clothes. "They said that the body was covered in burns, like he was boiled alive."

"Juvia is sorry," Juvia nibbled her lip. "He was a speed Mage, and he was going to harm Juvia's boss and try and take Juvia away…"

"N-no, Juvia-chan," Lucy comforted, hands on both of her shoulders. "I'm not upset about _that, _even if you killed him - I'm just so happy that you're alive." Lucy tilted her chin up so their eyes could meet. "You did whatever you had to do to protect yourself and save everyone else. If anything, I'm proud of you."

"Juvia didn't want to use her powers," she confessed quietly, holding her new clothes to her chest. "Juvia made a promise to never use her powers again, but her co-workers...they were scared and bleeding. It was overwhelming to Juvia...how they were so scared."

"I know, I know," Lucy cooed gently, holding Juvia's face with both hands. "But you saved as many people as possible, and that's all anyone can ask for you. The news said that the hospital gave word that the survivors and injured are going to be okay. The critically injured will be okay, too…"

Juvia could only nod, looking down to the floor. "Can Juvia stay up and watch the news, too?"

"Sure. Just change and I'll start making breakfast."

Juvia changed into a more comfortable outfit. White and light blue dress with a darker shade of blue ribbon on the trimmings, and buttoned up in the front. Juvia left her hair alone and got rid of the cheap sandals and clothes that were given to her in the guest room that was cleaned and decorated all by Wendy and Lucy (a couple of Wendy's stuffed animals were on the bed and it made Juvia giggle quietly). She returned downstairs with Carla to find Lucy and Natsu in the kitchen, the husband snuggling against the back of his wife and constantly asking if the food was ready yet. Juvia smiled sweetly at the sight when Lucy sweetly chided at him and stuffed a strawberry into his mouth, hushing him for a moment.

Natsu noticed Juvia and Carla entering the room and flushed at her teasing look. Pulling himself away from Lucy, the pink-haired man cleared his throat for his wife to turn around, who giggled at his flustered behavior and turned with a tray of pancakes and bowls of fruit in her hands. Juvia helped Lucy carry plates and Natsu held Happy back from getting fur on the food while they returned to the living room with the TV on,

"_It appears that another Mage investigation is taking place," _the reporter began, viewing outside of Fiore City's hospital. "_However, instead of breaking in and causing harm to innocent victims, it looks to be a breakout of the ward where the injured and survivors of last night's attack are being kept._

"_As you can see from where I am standing," _the reporter pointed to a wing of the hospital, where a giant collection of ice shard sprouted out of the window, "_it looks to be an ice Mage's doing. No further report from the law enforcement, but no one was harmed or have seen who escaped. Some insiders think they had accidentally brought in a Mage while bringing survivors to the hospital last night, yet no one knows who it is."_

"That's not Gray's ice," Natsu pointed out when the camera zoomed in to the ice sculpture. "Gray's ice isn't that bulky in the center. This one is more fat-looking, and the color is a bit different, too. It looks more teal."

Juvia nodded. "From what Juvia saw, the survivors already made it out of the building and were gone when Juvia led them outside of the grand hall. We were on the other side of the wall, though...and Juvia didn't see anyone else with ice powers."

"There must have been another Mage in the E.N.D. company that you guys didn't know about," Lucy suggested. "It's really, really hard to get a fake ID and make it work…"

"From cases Juvia dealt with on fake Human IDs, only Juvia could make ones that worked," Juvia said. Slipping out her ID that stated she was Human, Juvia remembered how she went to work two years ago and made herself and the whole Fairy Tail home Human IDs. It was just when she was hired at E.N.D. as an assistant to Lyon, and she had full access to his files and to any workstation in the building, including approving IDs. Looking up, Juvia looked at both of her friends' faces. "It would be impossible to approve IDs like that, only Juvia and very selected few at E.N.D. could do it."

Natsu groaned and stuffed a forkful of pancakes into his mouth. "This is just getting out of hand. It's giving me a headache."

"_Officials are now looking into E.N.D., the grand hall and now the hospital for any more leads to the attacks that have taken place," _the reporter concluded. "_There is still no given information on the missing employees or deceased of the attacks. The patients and staff at the hospital are all safe..."_

Juvia picked at her plate, letting Happy hop onto the couch and give her a polite look. Taking a piece of her pancake, Juvia gave Happy a share before continuing to poke her fruit. "Juvia-chan," Lucy called out softly, "please, try to eat something. It will make you feel better if you ate a little bit."

"Juvia knows," she said quietly, finally taking a bite of her breakfast. "Juvia is just a little worried for her co-workers."

"Lucy," Carla said as she entered the living room, holding the home phone with both paws wrapped around. Faint yelling could be heard from the device, making Juvia blink and Natsu stiffen midchew. "Erza is on the phone, and she would like to speak to you."

"Oh!" Lucy chirped and picked up the phone, thanking Carla. She ignored how the white cat snapped at Happy who began eating off of Juvia's plate, saving the fruits for the woman. Lucy licked her thumb clean of syrup before bring the phone to her ear. "Erza-nee, guess wha-?" Lucy pushed the phone when an shrilling yell came through, obviously Erza's voice. "Ahaha...I guess Carla told you, right? Yeah, I tried calling you, but you must've been asleep-! Please don't yell… No, Erza-nee, you don't need to-! Okay…"

Lucy hung up the phone with a sickly look on her face. Shivering in fear, Lucy gave a frightened smile. "I s-suppose I have to make a big dinner tonight, Natsu."

"Is Erza and Jellal coming over?" Natsu asked with a stuffed mouth, making Lucy frown at his manners.

"N-not just Erza and Jellal."

=xxx=

And that's how Lucy and Natsu's house was packed with the former members of the group she used to take missions on.

Juvia couldn't remember the last time she was crowded by the familiar faces of her family in one place. Sure, Juvia was invited by her family to holiday parties and vacations, but it was very rare for her to be able to take time off from work - she always took the hardest cases and had to work on them without a choice, but she enjoyed it. So, with that, Juvia wasn't always able to see her family all that often…

It seemed a lot of her old team was here, much to Juvia's surprise, for such a decent sized home Lucy and Natsu bought years back. Wendy had woken up a few hours after being put back to bed, and found even more people inside her house, yet she clung to Juvia's side the most; even telling Gajeel, who was expecting a hug from the little girl, that she had seen enough of him and missed Juvia more.

For Juvia, though, she was more concerned if she was going to survive the reunion with some of her sister-figures.

"_What did I say?" _Erza's voice was low and dangerous, making Juvia stiffen and fill her mouth with the mixed nuts and pretzels Lucy had put in the room for snacks. She pulled the bowl closer so Wendy could reach too. "Call us if anything were to happen! What did you do? You disobeyed my orders!"

"Juvia couldn't get to a phone when the attack happened," Levy said beside Juvia in the dining room, sipping her cup of water while rubbing her swelling belly, totally calm and collected. "You heard how it went, Erza-nee; Juju-chan jumped into the ocean to be able to escape from the Mages, so you shouldn't yell at her for making it here safely."

"True," Cana hummed, twirling her dark brown hair with her fingers. "But, that doesn't excuse her from not contacting all of us."

"Juvia said she was sorry!" Juvia whined and hid her face on top of Wendy's head, making the child blink and continue to nibble on her snacks. "Juvia used a lot of her water in her body to swim through the ocean to get here, and then used it on the bathhouse ladies to get her get cleaned up."

"You're still drinking a lot of water," Erza pointed out to the tall glass that once held water, now bone dry. Sighing, the redheaded woman leaned back on her chair and crossed her arms. "I suppose we can let this one slide, but don't do it again. We really need to get you a cellphone."

Juvia nodded and raised her head. "Is everyone okay, though? No unusual activity on the way here?"

The pregnant Mage looked up to her husband. Levy blinked when Gajeel huffed and shook his head. "Not that we noticed. Everything is normal in Oak Town and on the drive here," he answered.

"Yeah," Levy rubbed her fingers atop her belly in deep thought, "we weren't even pulled over by the cops. No one asked to see our IDs either." Both Levy and Gajeel lived in Oak Town, the next town over Cedar, where Levy is a teacher for young children and he worked for an auto shop that repaired cars and trains on a daily basis (sometimes he would bring metal scraps home for a late-night snack).

Natsu closed his eyes. "I went into town and asked some folks with Jellal," he stated. "No one seems to notice anything weird in Cedar, but it could be that since it's a two day ride from here to Fiore City. They're shocked about what happened in Fiore City, but don't feel the need to worry about it happening here."

"And you killed the speed Mage, right?" Jellal asked behind his makeshift mask covering most of his face. Despite the best Juvia could do for her fellow friend, the tattoo on his face and his crime record before joining Fairy Tail proved it difficult. Juvia was able to fake his ID to say he was Human, but suffered from permanent scars after serving time on duty, where he now works for the Cedar police department as the deputy. Erza worked as a receptionist in the police department, which wasn't all too fitting to the woman's strong personality. Still, the married couple still get to see each other frequently and have lunch together on break.

Juvia nodded. "He's the one that was boiled alive. He tried attacking Juvia and Mister Vastia." By this time, Wendy understood the situation of what her aunt was in, yet she remained calm as everyone else at the table; she knew what her family used to be, and she never pressured her adoptive parents to ever go into details. She was mature enough to handle this kind of talk, and would even sometimes snicker at the stories her adopted father will blab filled with violence and his stupidity. "Juvia doesn't know if there was another Mage with a speed talent, though, so there is no idea if they are already here looking for Juvia."

"Jet would have taken about a day to get from here to Fiore City," Gajeel pointed out. "Levy and I called and asked to see, and he confirmed that even he would take time to get here. From the time the attack happened and the time you got here, you swam here in less than six hours."

"Your body must be worn out, Juvia. Why are you still awake?" Cana asked with a raised brow. "I know you can push your limits, but that salt water must've dried up what you had stored in your body for health."

"Juvia-chan is restoring it, Cana-nee," Lucy sang as she walked into the room and picked up Juvia's empty glass and refilled it with her pitcher ready. "The bath she took by the shore bathhouse has helped her, and we're making her drink water still."

"Putting all that aside," Erza spoke sternly, catching everyone's attention. She looked up, staring at Juvia with soft, yet serious eyes. "Juvia, about what happened last night, when you escaped…"

Silence took over and all eyes went to Juvia, who heaved her shoulders and looked down to Wendy. The child smiled and slipped off of Juvia's lap and went past Lucy and into the kitchen. Placing her hands on the table, Juvia cleared her throat before speaking.

"Juvia saw Gray that night," she said. "Gray was the one who attacked E.N.D. and the event to find Juvia."

.

.

.

=xxx=

AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE - I feel like I need to add what everyone does after leaving the home and posing as Humans. I'll probably say more about them later, but meeeeeh.


	8. Chapter 8

Please don't forget to Review, Follow, Favorite or do something that makes you happy. I love you all, and hearing from you just makes my day. Enjoy and have a wonderful evening.

=xxx=

.

.

.

Sleeping Beauty

Erza and Juvia held eye contact for a long while, until the red headed woman gave in and looked away, sighing. "She's not lying."

Natsu frowned. "How can that be, Erza?" he snapped through clenched teeth. "There could've been someone looking like him, you know! Or a clone? _They could have cloned Gray!"_

"There is no such thing as stealing someone's physical identity on point, unless you're Gemini," Erza snarled at the pink haired man, making him flinch back with his hands raised in mercy. "And _a clone? _Are you still stupid after all these years?"

"Erza," Jellal wrapped an arm around Erza, keeping her still on her seat and held her clenched hand. "Don't break anything in Lucy's house, okay? Natsu is just in denial."

"I'm not in denial!" Natsu pointed out. "I believe in Juvia, too! I just can't imagine Gray being behind this after all these years! He's been gone for, what, _ten years? _Gramps concluded that he was dead by the time we found Wendy as a baby - I just don't know how that can be!"

"Juvia understands, Natsu-san," Juvia whispered, cutting the argument off. "Juvia doesn't want to believe it either, but...it was Gray."

"Juvia wouldn't lie about something like this either," Levy chirped in as well. The pregnant woman blinked when Gajeel slammed both hands on the dining table, shaking everyone's glass.

"You callin' Juvia a _liar, _you little shit?" Gajeel growled and reached over to grab Natsu by the collar of his shirt. Jellal, Erza and Cana stood ready to pull the two men apart. "I should beat you into a bloody pulp right now!"

"Gajeel-kun," Juvia snapped at Gajeel, making the large man stiffen at her voice. "Gajeel-kun, if you value your throat remaining intact, put Natsu-san down."

Gajeel obeyed and set Natsu back in his seat while sitting on his, unable to look at his wife in the eye. Levy wasn't amused either, yet her pregnant belly sometimes made it hard for her to move and smack his head like she would usually do when he gets out of hand. Lucy sighed in relief that nothing broke in her house. Levy gave Juvia thanks for stopping any violence in the house, which Juvia shrugged and shot Gajeel another glare.

"Apologize to Natsu-san for accusing him. Now," Juvia ordered, which Gajeel snarled and grumbled a little sorry to the salmon color-haired man, who just grinned in his sweet victory, feeling pleased at being allowed to live a bit longer.

"Honestly, Gajeel-kun," Levy huffed with an irritated twitch of her brow. "The two things that ever make you listen is me or Juju-chan. You're lucky that I didn't get off my tush and gave you a piece of my mind."

"Tch. Don't strain yourself, Levy," Gajeel mumbled under his breath, earning a light smack from his wife.

"So, back to what we were discussing," Jellal cleared his throat, arm still tightly wrapped around Erza, "Gray is alive. We don't know how, or why he decided to attack E.N.D. and Juvia."

Juvia scratched at her chin. "E.N.D. has gotten threats from Mages before, some from families of the convicted, some from inside prison...but none have ever been directed to an employee. Juvia's name is known sometimes in cases, but most - if not all - threats go to Lyon or E.N.D. directly."

"That's not surprising," Cana chipped in with a sarcastic tone of voice. "Plenty of Mages have a bone to pick with E.N.D., even if they haven't done anything wrong or have been to jail."

"Did you recognize any of the Mages who attacked the event, Juvia-chan?" Lucy asked. When Juvia shook her head, Lucy nodded in understanding and went to the kitchen.

"Juvia heard from the cop that was checking out Juvia's office that the patterns of the damage would most likely match up with cold cases," the blue-haired woman pointed out. "It won't be easy to find their identities, if they've never been caught. However, Juvia is not sure if they found any matches with any cases."

"I can try to look in the system if I can get to my computer at work," Jellal offered. "It may take a while, but I can try to match up the damage from E.N.D. property to the cold cases that have been documented. If they match, they might give us some clues on who these people may be. Or, Erza can try to get the file from Fiore City faxed over and check with them."

"It's a start," Natsu agreed.

Silence took over in the room once more, no one looking at each other but the lips of the unspoken were all thinking the same thing. It wasn't difficult to figure out what on each other's mind, but no one wanted to say. At this point in time, it was too much.

"Papa? Papa, come here," Wendy's voice could be heard in the room, making the pink-haired man turn his head.

"What is it, Wendy?" Natsu called back, leaning to get ready to get up from his chair.

"Happy says that the Gray person you guys are talking about is on the TV," the child's voice stated with a somewhat confused voice. Everyone looked at each other and stood up at the same time, heading out of the dining room and to where the TV was. Wendy stepped out of the room to make space, then skipping off to the kitchen.

Happy sat on the table, facing the TV that continued to stay on the news that kept on updating the events of attacks and the victims that were part of it. On the screen, however, wasn't the hospital or the grand hall covered in police tape, but the front of the E.N.D. building that was surrounded by a crowd of people, damages on the building were greater this time. Windows were smashed and cracked, a fire was set on the inside of someone's office and smoke rising from the roof of the building. From the remains of the entrance, now a large, gaping hole was a group of masked Mages, saved for the one at the front. Bandanas and hats were worn by the Mages, concealing their faces from the camera and the public eye. Some of the masked men had their arms filled with files, Juvia noticed, of profiles of Mages.

The center one, who wore no mask or concealment from his face, stood Gray. Hands in his pocket and his red eyes looking around the crowd of people, who were screaming and shouting banter at the group of criminals, Gray looked simply bored of the whole ordeal. Rolling his eyes, just like he used to when seeing something completely stupid.

"Holy shit!" Natsu swore once he saw the familiar anatomy and the scar on the forehead.

"How is that _possible?" _Erza growled under her breath, yet she took a step closer to Jellal and wrapped her arms around him, which he returned with a wrap of his hand on her hip. "What's that on his body? What are those black marks?"

Levy's hands covered her mouth and tears filled her eyes. "That can't be Gray. It just _can't." _

"It's hard, I know," Gajeel said, still staring at the screen with shocked eyes. "But that's him."

Cana looked to Juvia, who stood silently and watched the TV as Gray suddenly smiled directly at the camera and walked out to the sidewalk that was covered in shattered glass. That determined look in his eye was real and alive, just like he was as he slipped his hands out of his pockets, exposing the stained, black hand to the public. The shrieks and cries were ear-splitting as people began to panic and start running away, even the cameraman was shuddering and the reporter was backing with the camera.

"_W-we're coming to you live from the E.N.D., to show t-the face of the one leading the attack f-for the past few days-!" _the reporter flinched when one of the Mages, Juvia saw to be Sol with his earth ability, conjuring up the pavement to crumble and rise around them. People scrambling and running as fast as they can to get away, laughter of the masked men jumping and raising hell. "_W-we have the face of the leader, we b-believe, who h-has returned to his first location o-of attack for r-reasons unknown to-! Look out!" _the reporter screamed and pushed himself and the camera man out of the way of falling debris. Everyone in the room, including Happy, stiffened at the falling camera landing on the ground.

Gray's feet came closer to the lens and, probably another Mage who jumped around, picked up the camera and aimed it to Gray's face. Everyone's eyes narrowed at the all-too familiarity of Gray's features.

"_I know you're hiding somewhere," _Gray said slowly to the microphone that the masked Sol was holding for him. "_You always hid well when we played hide-and-seek as kids, but I'm not here to play games. I'll find you, and everyone else, too, if I have to."_

Juvia heard Gajeel growl at the TV, yet no one did anything to stop him this time for his animalistic behavior. On the TV, Gray seemed to be looking directly at everyone in the livingroom.

"_I'll do my best to control the number of casualties from now on, but I can't promise about my men," _Gray gave a pointed look and the excited camera whizzed around him to show some Mages erupting flames or electricity from their hands, aiming it to shops that were obviously shielding people away from the corrupted rage on the outside. "_You don't want to let down the Fairy Tail Guild with this, do you?"_

Juvia's anger spiked as the growing smile on Gray's face sparkled on TV, seeming amused by the message he was sending once the camera came back to his shot. "_I'll find you somewhere, sweetheart. Don't think you can hide from me like you tried to do for the past few years to the world."_

The news went on hold, an annoying sound of the Stand-By signal left in its wake. Everyone was standing, staring at the TV with a hardened gaze as Lucy carried Wendy into the open with Carla hovering over her shoulder. Despite the child still not knowing what was completely going on, she was just as surprised as Lucy is, overhearing the familiar voice that hasn't said a single word in about nine years.

Juvia exhaled loudly then, making everyone look at her as she straightened her back and turned around, expressionless. "If Juvia can, may she take some of the clothes that Lucy has here?"

Lucy's eyebrows creased in concern. "Why?"

"So Juvia can leave as soon as possible," she explained, offering a weak smile. "Juvia made sure that no one else in Fairy Tail was documented in the system and buried you all deep. But, Juvia isn't going to take the chance of having Gray find any of you and get you hurt."

"Like hell we're gonna let you do this alone, Juvia!" Natsu said seriously, hunching his shoulders, and Juvia swore she saw flames in the back of his throat. "Ya think we're gonna let ya take on the ice cube like that? Fairy Tail or not, no one tries to threaten another one of our family members!"

Juvia blinked, watching as everyone else in the room glanced to each other and suddenly smiled with determination. Seeing Gajeel snort a laugh and cross his bulky arms, Juvia watched as he gave a toothy grin.

"No way someone threatens the kid and gets away with it," Gajeel stated. Even though Juvia and Gajeel were nowhere near blood-related, the man always considered the blue-haired woman as his own little sister since he first met her as a kid.

"And, now we know it's Gray," Erza smirked suddenly, glancing to Jellal, "there's a good reason for us to get back into action and find out what the bloody hell happened… You know what I mean, right, Jellal?"

"Agreed," Jellal nodded, pulling down his mask and slipping off his hat. Revealing the blue hair and the scarlet mark across his right eye, the man smiled. "It'll be nice to not wear this stuffy headwear anymore."

"B-but, it's not-!" Juvia tried to stop them from, yet it proved worthless when Levy simply smiled.

"I don't think I can go as of right now," she hummed, her hand patting Gajeel's flexed arm. "But, I am expecting you guys to keep an eye on my husband here. I don't want him to go violence-crazy when I can't keep him in order."

Lucy stepped in with Wendy still in her arms. "Levy-chan, do you think you can have Wendy stay with you while I join them?"

"Of course, Lulu-chan! It's been awhile since Wendy and I had some fun time, right?" Levy cooed to the child, who grinned and nodded excitedly. "I can take her with me back to Oak Town. Wendy, wanna help me decorate the baby's room?"

"Yes, please, Aunt Levy!" Wendy cheered. "I can pick out the stuffed animals, the color for the room - I think pink will be perfect."

"H-hey! We don't know the gender of the baby yet!" Gajeel flinched, looking between his wife and the little girl.

"Juvia doesn't want anyone else involved!" Juvia practically shouted in fear, hands clenched to her sides as she shook. "Juvia doesn't want anyone else to get hurt. Gray could hurt Juvia's friends."

"Juvia-chan," Lucy scolded, setting Wendy down to her feet, "listen to yourself! Since when have we been _friends?"_

"We're all from the home, Juju-chan," Levy reminded her with a bright grin. "We may have disbanded the home and Guild a long time ago, but we never disbanded _family."_

Juvia bit her lip and held her hands to her mouth in shock. "J-Juvia d-doesn't…"

"Besides, we need to give Mages a good name again," Gajeel grumbled. "At least Guild Mages, not the fake-ass stunt that the asshole is posing on TV right now."

"You're not going in on this alone, Juvia," Natsu clenched a fist and a wide grin. "Lets bring the Fairy Tail Guild back and get Gray's head out of his ass - Let's not forget to beat the other idiots who think it's okay to wreck shit and harm the innocent."

"Natsu, you wrecked a whole lot of stuff back in the day," Lucy pointed out flatly, making the pink-haired man freeze mid-cheer. "Besides that, those bozos on TV are asking for a fight with Fairy Tail, and there's no way we're going to pass up their request. You threaten any Fairy Tail member, you're threatening the whole Guild."

"I miss the old days," Erza shrugged cooly. "It'd be nice to get back into the field instead of working behind a desk all day. I just hope I'm not too soft."

"Honey...you pin me under a minute every time we work out at home," Jellal whispered with a faint blush on his cheeks.

"Exactly! I need to step up my game!" Erza growled with a determined sparkle in her eye.

"This isn't just your problem, Juvia-chan," Lucy declared and smiled to the blue-haired woman who remained still as everyone got hyped around them. Stepping closer to Juvia, Lucy held her face with both hands, sending a warmth that Juvia missed so much.

"This is a family matter, and we're going to help you no matter what you say," Lucy said.

A tear slipped from Juvia's eyes as she launched a hug to the blonde woman, smiling through her tears and blubbering how much she loved everyone in a cracked voice.

=xxx=

"_Juvia wants to thank Gray-sama for the gift," the little girl mumbled shyly one night, inside the library where she would usually meet with the boy who finds her in here. Having the doll wrapped in her arms, Juvia waited with the 'Sleeping Beauty' book at her side, this time nowhere on her lap or snuggled harshly to her chest. Gray had entered around his usual time to see the girl sitting in their usual spot in the library._

_Gray's cheeks flushed and looked away. Even though it was dark inside the room, the moon outside was very helpful to show the light tint on his face, which made Juvia smile at the sight. "Yeah, well, I figured it was better than hugging that hardcover there," he pointed to the book with his chin. He suddenly stiffened and waved his hands. "N-not that I mean it's a bad thing! I just thought having a stuffed animal would be better, ya know, to hug. I haven't seen you with any stuffed animal, so I figured you never had one."_

"_Juvia had stuffed plushies before," she confessed, looking down as she stroked the head of the teru-teru-bozu. "Juvia had plenty, but they were all destroyed when Mommy and Daddy died."_

_Gray went silent then, plopping down on the floor infront of the blue-haired girl. He blinked and tilted his head. "Whad'ya mean, Juvia? I thought your folks sent you here."_

_Juvia shook her head, looking to meet his pretty eyes as she offered a sad smile. "Juvia's parents were politicians, working to have Mages and Humans coexist while Mages can use their powers for good of the community...but Juvia's parents had a lot of people who didn't agree," she explained. "People broke into Juvia's home, while Mommy and Daddy and Juvia was sleeping, and they started a fire inside the house._

"_Mommy woke up Juvia," she went on, curling her legs to snuggle the doll closer. "Daddy went downstairs to try and stop the fire with water, but then they shot Daddy."_

"_They _what?" _Gray seethed in shock._

"_They came up and found Mommy and Juvia trying to hide, and they shot Mommy next," Juvia went on, her voice quieter._

"_Juvia was able to escape alive, but the house and Mommy and Daddy burned. The police came and found the people who hurt Mommy and Daddy, and arrested them, but they found Juvia unharmed and thought she was dangerous."_

"_Assholes…"_

_Juvia then smiled at him. "When Juvia was brought in, she was put on to a train with her suitcase of whatever remained," she said brightly. "A letter came to the station, where Juvia was staying at, saying to send the Mage child to the Fairy Tail home, since she has no family. Not many people know that Mommy and Daddy had a child, because they didn't want Juvia to get hurt. That's how Juvia came here."_

"_I thought...like the rest of us, you know," Gray tried to explain, "were sent here while our parents worked for the government. I didn't know you-"_

"_It's okay, Gray-sama," Juvia smiled brightly at him. "Juvia is very happy to be here in Fairy Tail. Juvia is going to learn how to use her powers and work in a Guild with everyone when she grows up!"_

_Gray looked at her, seeing the stars in her eyes and the brightness in her smile, and he couldn't help but smile and let his cheeks darken in a blush. "I'm happy you're here, too, Juvia."_

Opening her eyes, Juvia looked to see Wendy sleeping on top of her body, face snuggled to her chest and arms around her doll and fingers clutching to Juvia's shirt. Slowly sitting up, Juvia tried to settle the girl on the couch and pull the blanket over her, trying not to wake-.

"Aunt Juvia," Wendy mumbled quietly, barely audible over the faint murmurs of the TV.

"What is it, sweetie?" Juvia whispered back, tucking Wendy's long, purple hair behind her ear so she could see her brown eyes. "Juvia is sorry she woke you."

Wendy rolled to her back, facing Juvia's risen form with big, curious eyes. "Aunt Juvia, who is Gray? How come Papa calls him weird names?"

Juvia smile and finished tucking the blanket around her. "Gray was a member of Fairy Tail, way before your mama and papa found you," she explained quietly. "He was Papa and Mama's close friend, ever since they were kids."

"Was he your friend, too?" she asked innocently. Juvia thought about this for a moment, letting Wendy slip her hand from under the blanket and gently pat her cheek. "It's okay, Aunt Juvia. Talking about boys are hard - I can't even tell Papa about any of my guy friends from school without him setting dinner on fire. Sometimes Mama gets mad at him, but she says he can't help being overprotective of me."

Juvia smiled. "He used to be Juvia's _Gray-sama, _and Juvia loved him very, very much."

"How come no one heard from him for a long time?" Wendy asked.

Closing her eyes, Juvia leaned against the couch, and Wendy curled up to lay half on the woman, cuddling her. "Before Lucy-chan and Natsu-san rescued Wendy as a baby, Gray-sama went missing when he and Juvia were sent on an important mission," she explained. "Juvia got very hurt on the way home, so Gray-sama had to carry her, but...when Juvia woke up, they only found Juvia and no Gray-sama."

Wendy pouted. "Did he get hurt, too?"

Juvia shrugged. "Yes, but nothing Gray-sama couldn't handle in taking us home. Your mama told Juvia that they found Juvia on the train, but no sign of Gray-sama. We looked for him for a long time, but Master Makarov concluded that he may have died, sacrificing himself for Juvia."

"But why is Gray on TV and hurting people?" Wendy asked, peeking at the TV. It showed updates of the final toll of deaths, and the current damage at the E.N.D. building. "I always thought Fairy Tail protected everyone and fought bad guys."

"Fairy Tail does, and that is indeed Gray on TV," Juvia nodded in agreement, running her fingers through her niece's hair. "But...that isn't Juvia's Gray-sama on TV. That's a bad man who is able to hurt many, many people for no reason."

Wendy sighed and rest her head back on the couch pillow. "Does this mean that Fairy Tail is coming back to fight the bad guys and bring Gray home? Just like how Mama and Papa brought me home when my real mommy and daddy couldn't stay with me?"

Juvia leaned down and kissed Wendy's forehead softly, making the child smile. "Yeah, we are bringing Fairy Tail back, and Wendy can be a part of it this time."

"I can?" Wendy gasped hopefully. Sitting up, the child tugged on Juvia's dress. "I'm not old enough to get the Guild tattoo, but can I draw it on instead? Mama and Papa said that using markers are okay, since they're washable!"

Juvia nodded. "You get to help out in taking care of Levy, and call Mama and Papa if anything weird is to happen while we are gone, okay?"

Wendy's eyes widened in awe as she nodded. "I'll protect Aunt Levy and be part of Fairy Tail!"

Juvia chuckled and kissed Wendy's forehead again. "You're going to be the best Fairy Tail Mage in the whole world, Wendy. Juvia can feel it already. Do you want a snack? We're going to drive to Oak Town soon…"

=xxx=

Gray frowned deeply at Sol, who was sitting across from him at the marble table they were sitting at, hidden from the prying eyes of the public. It was an abandoned bar, actually, and the rent was being paid off from a private client (which is part of Gray's new crew). Setting his glass of alcohol down, Gray folded his hands in front of him, propping his chin atop.

"What do you mean," Gray spoke very slowly, causing Sol to shiver, "that you can't find _any _of the names I put down for you?"

"T-the systems don't have them on record, sir," Sol stuttered as he set the stack of files on the table. "No name called Fairy Tail Guild or any names… Scarlet, Heartfilia, Dragneel or _any _of the names are recorded. It's as if they never existed. Even the _Madame_'s file don't show anything that tells she's a Mage."

"That's impossible," Gray growled darkly. "Fairy Tail was one of the most favorable Guild in the government, there's no way they're non-existent!"

"We ran it four times, Master…"

"Even criminal records? What about Jellal's name?"

"W-we know of his crime record, Master," Sol said with an uneasy smile. "However, anything that tells of his whereabout now, or when he was caught is...also not there."

Gray stood still for a moment before shoving everything - the files, the bottle of whiskey, and other small items - off the table with an exhale of a growl. Pounding both fists to the marble, making it nearly crack, Gray frightened his henchman to take a few steps away. "The hell!"

"We b-believe that _Madame_ Juvia may have altered the filing system when she was working for E.N.D., Master…" Sol said quietly. "It's like her ID, it says she's a _Human. _She could have done it to everyone else from the Fairy Tail Guild…"

Gray grumbled under his breath and ran his hand through her hair in aggravation. "She couldn't have done that alone. That would have taken more than twenty years to cover up the Guild, and everyone involved in it."

"The _Madame_ is very skilled, from the short time I have met her, Master," Sol offered with a shrug, bending down to pick up the fallen papers. Picking them up one-by-one, Sol stayed clear from Gray's personal space. "You were correct in not to underestimate her, Master Gray."

Gray snorted, looking off into space with a somewhat amused look in his rusty eyes. Resting his chin on an opened palm and elbow to the table, he thought back to when he was able to reunite with the blue-haired woman inside the glamorous ballroom that they had to force themselves into, which wasn't hard with the weakling Humans being security…

That determined look in her eyes as she was ready to attack him if he dared to step closer to her hasn't changed whatsoever when she was cornered with an enemy. How she stood her ground against his own men was much more stronger than he remembered, and he was impressed at how she showed no fear until he walked in.

However, he wasn't all too pleased to see her jump into the ocean, obviously hurting herself when she collided with a rock. He hoped that she healed the wound, and took in as much water as possible to restore her body to be good as new.

He can remember her when they were in their teens, and after every mission she took either with him, or someone else Makarov assigned her to, she would be drinking water if she obtained an injury. Sometimes he would find Juvia battered up and bleeding from her head, yet she will stand in the kitchen with a glass of iced water and a happy smile on her face.

"_Juvia, what the hell are you doing? You should be in bed!" _

"_Juvia is okay, Gray-sama. Juvia was thirsty."_

"_Then you should've let me get it for you!"_

"_Did Gray-sama do okay on his mission? Did Gray-sama like the lunch Juvia made for him?"_

"_Don't go changing the subject! I'm taking you back to bed, and don't you dare sneak out again."_

Frowning deeper at the memory, Gray reached down and picked up the bottle he had thrown down in his raging moments. Unscrewing the cap, Gray tilted his head back and began chugging the stinging liquid down his throat.

"M-Master Gray..?" Sol peeped in weakly. So pathetic.

Once half-way down the bottle, Gray gave a dark glare to his henchman. "Look up her name again, and show me everything you find with her on it. Human or Mage, I don't give a shit. If you don't find anything, don't you dare approach me until you do."

"_O-oui_, Master Gray…" Sol blubbered and took off, leaving the man alone in his private quarters with his bottle of whiskey. The door closing was the only comfort to him in the now, but his memories always kept him sane.

Gray didn't hesitate to press his fingertips to his mouth, but it wasn't anywhere close to the warm, soft and sweet-tasting lips Juvia used to kiss him with every morning, night, after every mission, meal and always before bed. Even when he or she had their lips split open or stitches on the side of their mouths, Juvia's kisses always took the pain away.

Pulling the hand back and looking at the black stains on his whole arm, Gray scowled darkly at the sight and jerked his head away. Grabbing the bottle of whiskey, he finished the rest of it with no regrets. Afterwards, he tangled his hands in his dark hair and rest his head on the table, trying to drown everything he hated about himself with alcohol and little memories that refuse to leave his mind of her smile.

"_Gray-sama, I love you!"_

His skin was prickling with anger, thinking back to the other night when he said those words to her, while she was defensive and angry and _beautiful_ to him. He said the honest truth, what he wanted to tell her for the past few years since he went missing; he could understand if she was in disbelief, or angry at him… Gray could completely understand her attacks at him. But, it broke his heart to see her jump over the edge, away from him, after he said those three words that were only for her to hear from his mouth.

Those three words that he only tells Juvia, because that's the most honest thing he could say, think and believe in his life right now. Juvia was real to him, and seeing her after so long had helped plenty with himself. He felt like he could breathe better now, just seeing her alive.

"I'm still your Gray-sama," he grumbled under his breath. "Things have changed, but I'm still your Gray-sama. I still _love _you, no matter what, Juvia."

"_We have identified the attackers from an illegal Guild that was established roughly a few years ago, by a Mage who's name is still unidentified," _the reporter said on the counter of the station room, showing the still image of Gray and the masked Mages from the attack at E.N.D. and their major announcement. "_One of the Mages in this Guild, who we have yet to find identity for, is leading the attacks in search for someone who may have been an employee at E.N.D.; perhaps someone who has arrested the leading Mage's relative, or friend. Theories keep popping up at law enforcements as they try to make sense of all the chaos taking place."_

The TV in Gajeel and Levy's living room served as a background noise while the pregnant Mage watched as the blonde woman knelt down to her knees in front of the tiny girl, showing a cellphone to her. Levy inwardly smiled as Wendy's eyes widened in surprise to see her adoptive mother holding it out to her. Lucy laughed when Wendy asked if it was for her, since pink was both Lucy and Wendy's favorite color; letting her daughter take the phone and squeal with delight as she had her first phone, the little girl's excitement totally contagious.

"Now, you have both Mama and Papa's number here, on this cellphone, okay?" Lucy cooed to Wendy as the child looked at the shiny, pink phone, her doll propped in her other arm. Lucy held the phone by a little ribbon with a angel wing keychain attached to it. "You call Mama or Papa if you need anything, or if there is an emergency."

"M'kay, Mama!" Wendy said with a grin. "I promise I'll be a good girl for Aunt Levy. I packed all my good clothes and toys to play with her, and also the baby."

"She'll be fine with me, Lulu-chan," Levy grinned from the couch. "Don't be such a worrywart. Wendy is just as tough as her parents."

"Yeah, Luce!" Natsu chuckled and picked up Wendy by surprise, placing her on his shoulder for her to nearly touch the ceiling with her fingertips. "Wendy has been practicing her wind magic very hard with me, and she's one tough cookie. I think she gets it from me."

Lucy offered a defeated smile as she stood up, watching Wendy play with her father's hair and then play with his cheeks childishly, making her husband make weird snorting noises when she pulled on his skin. "Yeah...but this is the first time we've been away from Wendy. What if she gets a cold and Levy doesn't know what to do? What if she has a bad dream and starts crying?"

"That is why I will remain with Wendy and Levy," Carla stated with crossed paws. "You have nothing to fear with me around, Lucy. You worry about pounding sense into Gray's head to make him think straight."

"Yeah, what she said!" Natsu grinned, making Lucy roll her eyes. Picking the cellphone from her hands, Natsu passed it to Wendy who then put it in her dress pocket before going back to playing with his hair. "It'll be like old times, babe. We can call Wendy before she goes to bed, if you want. You can tell her a story, and I can sing to her!"

"Papa can't sing!" Wendy exclaimed and plugged her ears, making the man laugh as he put his child back down on the floor. The girl went to hug her mother, who wrapped her arms tightly around her and pressed many kisses all over her head and face. "Byebye, Mama. Make sure that Papa doesn't wreck any buildings or set things on fire!"

Lucy laughed and pressed a kiss to Wendy's nose, and they both nuzzled their foreheads together. "I promise. And you don't go trying to fly off the roof while I'm gone."

"Okay," Wendy agreed before turning to Natsu next, who knelt down and let his adopted child press a cute kiss to his cheek and rubbing it in with her sleeve to make sure it stayed. "Byebye Papa. Make sure you listen to Mama and stay out of trouble. I don't wanna see you on TV being chased by the cops."

"Who? Me?" Natsu chuckled and gave a playful chomp to Wendy's pointed finger, making the child squeal and hide her hands. "I'll be good, I promise."

Gajeel, who walked to Levy's seated form with a duffle bag in one arm, snorted. "Yeah, like he can keep his hands off of anything and not wreck it," he grumbled, making Natsu whine. He ignored his wife's light smack on his hard abdomen, looking down to his pregnant wife. "You sure you can't call your parents over to help out? I don't want to leave you alone in the house without me being here to protect you."

"Just because I'm knocked up doesn't mean I can't use magic to defend myself," Levy pouted with a twitch of her brow, making Gajeel flinch. "Besides, I have Wendy and Carla here. And, may I remind you, that Juvia took care of _everyone's _Human files to be untraceable for anyone who was associated with Fairy Tail? Are you questioning your _little sister's _ability to keep us safe since we disbanded years ago?"

"No…" Gajeel huffed, making Natsu snicker in the background. The bulky man glared at his companion, who whistled, pretending he didn't do anything.

"Good! Now gimme a kiss, Gajeel-kun!" Levy cooed and tugged on the man's black shirt. She puckered her lips and all ready to receive an affectionate gesture from her husband.

Gajeel only saw Natsu snickering, Lucy and Wendy's waiting stare for one second before baring sharp teeth and flaming eyes at Natsu directly, making the salmon-colored haired man stiffen and pale alongside his wife. "LOOK AWAY, YOU DUMBASS. NOTHING FOR YOU TO SEE HERE!"

Natsu and Lucy turned away to give them privacy, forcing Wendy around while she waited for her uncle to kiss her aunt, holding down their shakes of fear as Gajeel gave Levy an affectionate and gentle kiss to the blue-haired woman's mouth. Then, bent deeper to press a kiss to her pregnant body and whispering something to the baby growing inside his wife. Along the lines of "Daddy will be home soon" or "Be a good baby while Daddy's gone" were not questioned by anyone when he stood up and left through the opened door. Lucy stifled a light giggle and looked back to Levy, who winked back.

"I'll check up on your novel while you're out, too," Levy said smoothly, letting Wendy climb up on the couch beside her. "If Wendy needs anything else from your house, it's a short ride from here to there. You guys go have fun without me."

"Byebye, Mama! Papa!" Wendy waved to her parents one last time while Natsu picked up as many bags for his wife as possible. Lucy was left with one and she waved back to her child before leaving through the front door.

"I'll miss you, Carlaaa!" Happy yelped as he flew out the door, following Natsu and Lucy with his wings fluttering. "I'll think 'bout you every daaay!"

Carla simply sighed and looked away, yet a little blush could be seen on her whiskered cheeks. Levy giggled at the speaking cat before seeing Juvia walking into the room with a bag in her hand, looking expressionless. "How'ya doin', Juju-chan? All packed and ready?"

"Juvia is ready," she mumbled with a sigh, finally looking to the pregnant Mage with a concerned look. "If _anything _happens and you need someplace for safety, J-Juvia knows good hiding places and safe houses for Mages who need safety."

Levy smiled warmly, that motherly grin that easily made Juvia's heart clench. "Don't you worry about a thing, Juju-chan," she waved off and grasped her free hand, tugging her closer. "After everything you've done - and I mean _everything! - _for everyone in Fairy Tail: the IDs, the files and the very existence of our faces as Guild Mages being erased...you've done everything for our family. I'm so happy to have you in my life, and for Gajeel-kun and our little baby. I never thought I would be able to live in society as freely, if it wasn't for you."

Juvia shut her eyes when Levy stood and placed the hand she was holding to her belly. "We all love you, Juju-chan. You're part of our family, so don't hold any of this weight on your shoulder without us, okay?"

Levy tilted her friend's chin up, forcing the water Mage to open her eyes. Wendy watched with a smile of her own. "You go and bring Gray home. Remind the world what Fairy Tail is made of… And, keep Gajeel-kun out of trouble. I'm sure him and Natsu have been itching to fight each other since the last Christmas party. I don't need him coming home by the time the baby is ready to be born - I can only handle one baby at a time."

Juvia giggled dryly when Levy winked, slipping her hand to drop by her side. "Juvia will keep Gajeel-kun in line."

Levy thanked her and gave a kiss to Juvia's cheek, letting the woman with her packed bag to step over to Wendy and kiss both of the child's cheeks and then her nose. Wendy hugged Juvia tightly before bringing her doll's face up and kiss Juvia's nose before she did. Juvia whispered a goodbye to the air Mage and to the white cat, who nodded in response. Holding her bag with a tight grip, Juvia unpropped the front door of Levy and Gajeel's home and closed the door gently, turning around to see her waiting team in the front lawn.

Levy and Gajeel owned a private property in Oak Town, where it took a mile or two to simply walk to the home, giving off perfect security for the growing family. Lucy and Natsu held hands together while Happy flew around to stretch his wings better; Erza was checking her pile of luggage again while Jellal stood by her and reminded his wife when she thought she forgot something back home (he took better track of Erza's packing than she does). Gajeel was ignoring Cana's banter at how no one was allowing her to bring booze on the trip, and that she will have to order room service when they check into a hotel…

Jellal gently tapped Erza's shoulder to get her attention, making the redheaded Mage turn to see Juvia step off the front step with a cautious hop in her wake. Her bag on one shoulder and a somewhat unsure look and firm line on her lips. Looking at everyone's faces, Juvia blinked and fiddled with her fingers.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Erza said as she crossed her arms proudly, making Juvia blink. Gently nudging Jellal's arm, Erza smiled big and proud as she gave a thumbs up. "Let's go get the Guild back together."

"We're gonna miss our chance for the train, guys!" Lucy said with a raised hand, winking to Juvia as she began leading Natsu by the hand down the pathway. "I reserved first-class, just for us! It's amazing what a talented novelist can get just by simply asking under her pen name!"

"Can we get booze in first class?" Cana yowled with an annoyed sober voice. "Not sure I can stand being around Natsu in the same train car, if he's going to get sick!"

"I grew out of that, Cana!" Natsu howled back with fire bursting out of his mouth at the woman, who laughed at how he was lying more to himself. "I'm freakin' twenty-seven! I ain't gonna get sick on the train!"

Juvia blinked, a sudden comfort of the past washing over her when she first got her Guild tattoo. That feeling you would get walking into the sunshine and that warmth that fills you to the bone came to her, making her heart hammer against her chest as she watched Natsu and Cana bicker, Erza getting between them with her deadly glare of warning as she hauled her things with one hand, holding Jellal's in her other as he pretended to not know what was going on. Lucy tugged on Natsu's hand, whispering to him that he needed to stop yelling at Cana before they angered Erza any more, and Happy plopped himself on his owner's head and prodded his paws into the pink hair.

"You okay, Juvia?" Gajeel's voice startled her, making her cheeks flush and peek up shyly to him. Carrying his own luggage, Gajeel kept his arms crossed as he raised a brow to the smaller woman.

Juvia smiled a little, grasping her bag strap tightly. "Yeah, Juvia is okay, Gajeel-kun," she hummed lightly and leaned her head on Gajeel's elbow, like she used to do as a child. "It's just...Juvia never thought that the Guild would be coming back. Not like this, anyway."

"I don't think anyone was thinking it either, Juvia," Gajeel pointed out, starting a walk and the blue-haired woman followed in a hurried pace to keep up with him. "After Gray's 'death' and Lucy and Natsu adopting Wendy, I'm sure that everyone was sure that it was the end of Fairy Tail."

Juvia nodded in agreement, finally catching up. "It will...be interesting," she mumbled, "seeing everyone again. Especially with...you know."

Gajeel's large hand practically swallowed Juvia's head. With a brotherly pat, Gajeel let her sniffle for a bit while they kept walking - since she wasn't stopping, he figured she wasn't going to stop any one at this point with the mission. "We will figure this out, kid," he said under his breath, looking ahead to the group ahead of them, bringing back the same memories of the good days.

"We'll figure it out and bring that asshole home."

.

.

.

=xxx=

AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE - Chapters keep getting longer and things making sense are getting shorter. Please Review, Follow, Favorite or do whatever makes you happy. Hearing from you guys makes my day, but your own happiness is better!


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks to all of the beautiful people (take a peek in the mirror to see who it is!) for being patient and understanding for me. Life's a little hard right now, but I'm keeping it up with good vibes and tons of tea and writing!

Please don't forget to Review, Follow, Favorite or do what makes you happy for me! Thank you so much for taking your time, and I hope you enjoy.

=xxx=

.

.

.

Sleeping Beauty

"L-L..._Luuucyyy…"_

"I know, Natsu, I know," Lucy hummed gently with a relaxed look on her face.

"Why'za room movin'?"

"Because we're on a train, Natsu," Lucy explained simply as she looked down to her husband's pale, pale face resting on her lap. He had his head wrapped in his favorite white scarf, looking like a mummy's head, as Lucy combed her fingers through the tufts of pink hair sprouting out. "Do you want me to get you some medicine?"

"N-no..._nooo!" _Natsu whined. "Lucy stay wiff-! Ugh...wiff meh."

Lucy offered an apologetic smile to Juvia, who was watching Natsu intently and raised a confused brow. "Sorry about this...you know he did perfectly fine on the bus ride to our honeymoon."

"Perhaps it is just trains," Juvia offered with a tilt of her head, watching as Natsu shake when the train went over a bumpy rail. His face turned purple and nuzzled his face into Lucy's belly. "He seems to be doing better than he used to."

"Remember when he was half-hanging out of the car window that one time?" Gajeel snorted a chuckle, walking by the chairs and dropping a cold washcloth into Lucy's waiting hands. "And we didn't even start moving yet!"

"What a manly behavior, for sure," Cana smirked in the back, helping herself to another bottle of white wine. "Aren't you a lucky one, Luce?"

Lucy's head snapped as she glared at Cana with red cheeks and a pout. "Hey! Natsu tries his best okay? Happy still carries him and flies all over the place, and he does just fine," Lucy defended as she removed some of the scarf and placed the cold cloth on Natsu's head.

"Until I start landing, and then Natsu just gets _allll _sick and I have to put him in the trees," Happy sang out, causing Cana to choke on her drink so she could laugh with Gajeel who pointed accusingly at the sick-looking Mage.

Inside the first class car, completely rented out thanks to Lucy, gave enough space for everyone to make themselves at home and enough breathing space after Erza packed her items in all by herself. Juvia and Lucy sat across from each other on lounging seats, while Happy was openly digging in Juvia's bag for some snacks (he thinks she's hiding them). Erza and Jellal finally settled into a light nap next to each other, and Jellal finally removed his hat and mask, throwing it away with the encouragement of his wife holding the waste basket to him.

"_You're not going to need it anymore, Jellal," _Erza had said with a small grin when Jellal stared at the hat and mask in his hands. "_Fairy Tail is coming back now. There's no reason to hide our identities anymore, right? Besides, you worked hard at deputy in Cedar, I don't think your comrades are going to think differently of you since you hide your face all day."_

Even though they weren't _outside, _Juvia thought it was pretty nice to see Jellal free of his facial confinements outside the comfort of home. Seeing him finally relaxed beside his wife, who supported his troubled past ever since they were little, little kids and loved him inside and out, sleeping beside her was the cutest sight Juvia has seen.

Happy's head popped out of Juvia's bag that was next to her, holding up a bag of chips with a begging look in his large eyes. "Ju-vi-aaa? Can I have these, please?"

"Happy! Stop digging around Juvia's things and behave!" Lucy scolded before Juvia raised a hand to stop her.

"Juvia purposely put them in her bag so Happy could find them," she said with a smile, looking back down to Happy with his mouth wide open. "Go ahead, Happy. They're all yours."

"Aye, sir!" Happy practically cried tears of joy as he scrambled out of the bag and onto the floor. Juvia watched with gentle eyes as Happy scurried behind the bar and the sound of the bag being opened faintly. Lucy rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Natsu, who grumbled sickly and grasped Lucy's thigh.

"Juvia can get Natsu some medicine, if Lucy thinks he needs some," Juvia offered, standing up and finding balance as she made her way to the bar with Cana bringing the medicine kit up for her.

"It's funny to see all of us together like this, yeah?" Gajeel said outloud, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the wall. "And bringing the Guild back together… Speaking of which, has anyone even bothered to call the others?"

"Levy called Jet and Droy," Lucy explained as Juvia returned and offered the anti-nausea pills into her waiting palm. "They're heading to round up the others, like Macao and Freed...I think she told them to meet up back at the home, where Mira-nee still lives."

"Mirajane?" Cana repeated with a blink. "She's holding the old home in place? I thought Master Makarov sold it years ago!"

"He did," Lucy nodded. "He sold it to Mirajane and she takes care of it with Laxus. They sometimes invite schools in Magnolia for special events or have galleries there once in a while."

"Feel bad that Mirajane has to deal with that smartass," Gajeel frowned.

"Actually, Mira-nee doesn't take crap from Laxus," Juvia pointed out, looking at Gajeel with an unamused look. "Juvia believes that Laxus is more whipped than Gajeel-kun is with Levy."

"Hey!" Gajeel flushed and glared away into space, not stopping the embarrassed blush on his face. He remained silence about it from then on.

"Macao opened his own bar with Wakaba in Tully, and I hear it's very popular," Lucy went on. "But, from the sounds of it, both Macao and Wakaba are open to coming back to the Guild, if they can have someone watch over their establishment while going out."

"What about the Strauss siblings? Mirajane seems open to it, Juvia knows, but what of Lisanna and Elfman?" Juvia asked, making Lucy nod in understanding.

"Lisanna opened her very own bakery back in Magnolia, and still lives with Mirajane and helps around the home, too," Lucy explained. "From...what I understand, Elfman and Evergreen are still dating, but I'm not sure where they are as of right now. Probably traveling as privates for the government."

"Private Mages are still there? I haven't seen any," Cana sniffed sourly. "I mean, sure, it keeps the government on your side, but it's pretty pointless in doing dirty jobs alone. You know how much shit you can get into if you piss off your employer? You could easily land in jail, like Jellal!"

"I'm still awake, you know," Jellal said, eyes still closed. Erza, upon feeling her husband's strong voice vibrate next to her, made her nuzzle her face deeper into his arm and fall back asleep.

Cana cringed and set her bottle on the counter. "Besides that...with the Guild coming back and all that shit," she waved her arms around. "What...is our plan anyway? What exactly are we having an _adventure_ for?"

"Find out what the hell Gray is doing," Gajeel sneered.

"Why he's after Juvia-chan," Lucy added.

"How is he alive after all this time," Jellal pointed out.

"_Beat da shit outta Grayyy_," Natsu gurgled before shutting up and tightening the scarf around his head, shielding his face completely.

"It's obvious that they're looking for Juvia-chan," Lucy pointed out, taking a peek at the woman who remained silent during the whole conversation. "We don't know why, but he did say that he'll find everyone else - obviously meaning Fairy Tail - to get to her. It's no point in trying to hide from the public any longer, with or without the government's 'OK' on this…"

"You think the government will try to get involved in this?" Jellal asked, finally opening his eyes and looking to the group.

"Not likely," Juvia shook her head. "Fairy Tail disbanded on its own without the government's involvement, so they discontinued any relations with the Guild in general. Juvia checked many times personally, and Fairy Tail was completely removed from government files, including all the names that were part of it. Juvia just dug deeper for changing the names when she made the Human IDs.

"Once the government knows a Guild is disbanded, they will go over the history of the Guild's successes and failures in the missions given to them. If they are pleased with the Guild's job they have done before disbanding, they will leave the Guild with a free pass," Juvia explained further, pulling out her Human ID from her pocket. "However, they will not give the Guild members a secure future for their kind, if they were to move on into society, like Macao's bar; they won't treat Mages any different than convicted Mages, which is why Juvia made everyone Human IDs and hacked into the systems to ensure safety for Fairy Tail." Holding up her ID, Juvia pointed out the design in the laminated card. "Human ID cards have a special design, which is why most fake IDs are easily found, and Mages get arrested for fraud - E.N.D. is one of the few places where they produce actual cards, so Juvia made them there when she was given free reign to the building before being put to a profiling position in the head department."

"It's not too hard to see the difference in treatment between Humans and Mages overall," Jellal said, leaning his head back on the seat with an unamused look in his eye. "Think of what kind of shit we will find ourselves in, if we happen to be caught riding a train away from Fiore."

"If Juvia can use her E.N.D. card to the police, it may help, won't it?" Cana suggested openly, shrugging her shoulder to the blue-haired woman who frowned and shook her head. "I guess with the attack at the building...they'll think it's fake, hm?"

"The sight of Juvia's tattoo would also give it away that Juvia is not Human, since E.N.D. is strictly Human-based in their employees," Juvia explained. "Even if Mages were hired, they would most likely not work in the same building as Juvia had. The hospital will also most likely note everyone from the attack and keep record; they won't take chances of anyone who has a card, even if Juvia's card is real. Juvia's co-workers also saw her tattoo, so it's pointless."

"We can keep using my pen name for hotel rooms and purchasing food and supplies," Lucy offered, petting Natsu's head softly when he groaned against her lap. "I've never been questioned for a photo ID as long as my penname is stated to them."

"That would be a good idea," Jellal nodded, feeling Erza shift against him. "But we should also be wary on displaying our tattoos, too, you guys."

"Outside of the hotel would probably be more beneficial," Juvia stated suddenly, catching everyone's attention. "Security cameras inside the hotel buildings are often used to search for Mages. Juvia recalls from past investigation and cases, where they would find the accused hiding out; Juvia recommends bandages or clothing to cover the tattoo inside the building. Yet more public places, such as shopping areas, parks and public buildings are safe for both Humans and Mages to converse, as long as they don't start trouble…"

Juvia's explanation tuned out as she darted her gaze to Gajeel, who stiffened. "What'ya lookin' at, squirt? I ain't gonna cause no trouble. We're on a job here, remember?"

"Levy-chan asked Juvia to keep an eye on the father of her baby, that's all," Juvia rolled her eyes before resuming. "Anyway, since we are heading towards Akane, we should be able to blend in easily. Humans and Mages go there and get along just fine, as long as you don't boast about yourself or use your powers in the resort areas."

"Akane?" Cana blinked after she finished her bottle.

Nodding, Juvia reached into her bag and pulled out a postcard of a resort and casino that was most popular in Akane. "Master Makarov is residing there, and Juvia knows someone who can probably help with our situation. A few more members of the house and Guild are in Akane, too. Juvia terminated their Mage files the same as everyone else's, as it was requested by Makarov too. There could be some Makarov can talk to, if we can find them."

"It's gonna be nice seeing Makarov again," Lucy snickered. "You think he already knows what's going on?"

"Mira-nee would have called him beforehand. He is most likely waiting for someone to come and pick him up," Juvia shrugged with a tiny smile, looking to the postcard that had the popular Ryuuzetsu Park on it. "Last time Juvia spoke to him was a long while ago, so it will be very good to see him again."

"You think he's gonna wanna take us ladies to the bar?" Cana slurred with a grin, making the other two women laugh. "Wait till he sees how his boys are holding up in a real world! Gajeel is gonna be a daddy and Natsu still acts like he was smacked in the head but wears a tie this time!"

"_Fawg ya, Cana!_" Natsu grumbled and crossed his arms on Lucy's lap. "M'not..._hurrgh… _M'gonna fight ya..!" he practically shrieked.

"Natsu, wake me up one more time and I swear to all things holy that Lucy will have to carry your remains in a pickle jar," Erza's voice snapped through the small commotion, making everyone pale and fall silent while Jellal smirked at his wife's peacemaking.

Well, Erza's way of peacemaking.

=xxx=

"Hello, ma'am, how may I be of service to you today?" the desk receptionist of the luxury hotel smiled politely to Lucy and Erza, while everyone else sat quietly in the couches. Juvia felt the slight movement on her lap, where her bag was placed, making her look down with a blink while Cana played with a long lock of her brown hair in boredom.

"Juvia, can I come out now? It's stuffy in here," Happy's voice peeped, the zipper unlocking to reveal a large eye looking at her sadly. Juvia looked around to see the staff of the hotel and bellboys, along with other people coming and going around them.

Biting her lip, Juvia was about to tell Happy no until Gajeel's steel-toed boot plopped itself ontop, making the blue cat squeal and drawing attention. "Shuddap, ya stupid talking mutt!" he hissed under his breath, drawing his other foot up to cross his ankles and adding more weight to the poor Exceed creature inside the bag.

"Owwie..!" Juvia heard Happy whimper, noticing some people looking their way with confused looks. "Gajeel, that hurts!"

Despite him wearing steel-toe, Juvia was able to reach and pinch Gajeel's exposed ankle on the pressure point. This caused the bulky man to stiffen and pull his feet back in pain, glaring daggers her way and the blue haired Mage smiled sweetly to an obvious newlywed couple.

"So many fragile makeup kits in here!" she smiled sweetly, ignoring Gajeel's horrible use of swear words. Waving a hand, Juvia coughed to make her voice sound a bit like Happy, although struggling. "O-owwie...You made the tweezers stab me, you meanie," she faked a whimper to Gajeel.

Juvia waited until the newlyweds walked off for her to kick Gajeel in the shins, making him stiffen and bite back a scream. "Don't hurt Happy like that, Gajeel-kun," Juvia warned darkly. "Gajeel-kun nearly blew us hiding an Exceed! Don't make dislocate both of your legs."

"I love how Juvia-chan still has that spicy bone in her body!" Cana snickered cheekily before plopping her against the blue haired woman's shoulder, snuggling her slightly. "It's a good thing you didn't change. All the other ladies around me have matured too quickly for my liking!"

"You don't consider yourself mature, Cana?" Jellal asked from behind his magazine, having his hood up to cover most of his face from showing his tattoo. "You're around our age, aren't you?"

"I'm still young and full of energy," Cana fanned herself, still leaning on Juvia's lady-like posture. The brunette cooed and poked Juvia's soft cheek. "You know, since you and I are single, smoking hot babes at a resort, we could hop a couple of bars while we're here."

"We're here to find Gramps, Cana," Natsu huffed between Jellal and Gajeel. He was still sickly-looking, but not as serious as he was on the train or at the station. "Not here to be on vacation."

"Got our rooms," Erza spoke behind Juvia and Cana's couch, making both of the women look up with her hands filled with keycards. "We have the top suite and private baths."

"All thanks to yours truly, Lucy Ashley!" Lucy lightly boasted as she rounded to the men's side and pulled Natsu off of the couch. Her husband groaned with nausea and hid his face into her chest, but she ignored it as best as she could. "Why don't we all settle in and get comfortable, hm?"

Riding the elevator to the highest floor, the team opened their suites to reveal of beautiful and expensive-looking bedrooms and lounging areas. The bedrooms were set to two different rooms, containing two beds in each; a large kitchen with important appliances and a large living room area with leather couches and a large TV by a fireplace. The velvet-colored carpeting went along with the golden curtains and cream-colored walls, giving off a royalty-like feel to the guests.

Lucy placed Natsu on the middle couch, giving his forehead a loving kiss before taking the bags from his hold to put into the bedroom nearby. Jellal took Erza's packing and helped her figure out what to put in which drawers and closets all while Cana and Juvia went to the next bedroom and entered, Gajeel following in tow.

Juvia opened her bag to let Happy out, who flew and gasped for air while flapping his wings. Juvia giggled and plucked the talking cat from the air, giving him a light nuzzle to his whiskered cheek. "Juvia is sorry to make Happy wait so long," she apologized with a sweet hug, as if she was cuddling a teddy bear. "Is Happy okay now?"

"Aye sir!" Happy wheezed before going limp in Juvia's hold, which the woman placed him on the bed before displaying a small bag of chips she purchased from a vending machine while waiting to check in. Happy gasped in delight before jumping for the bag and scurrying out of the room.

"So, who gets which bed?" Cana sighed, looking at the two beds.

"Does Cana-nee want to bunk with Juvia?" the blue haired Mage asked. Cana in return had sparkles in her eyes before wrapping her arms around Juvia in a hug. Peeking over the older woman's shoulder, Juvia smiled to the tall man. "Gajeel-kun can have the other bed, so he may have more room."

"I don't take up that much space!" Gajeel twitched a studded brow, but willingly went to sit on the farthest bed in the room. Eyeing the two women, Gajeel sneered. "You think you can handle sharing a space with Drunk Princess there?"

"It's Drunk _Queen, _you peasant," Cana hissed to Gajeel before going behind Juvia. With her greedy behavior, Cana buried her face in Juvia's wavy locks and snuggled her. "It'll be like when we were kids, Juvia-chan! But you'll have boobies this time, and I get to be the big spoon all over again!"

Juvia sighed with a shy smile, trying to contain her embarrassed blush. "C-Cana-nee…"

"You're not the hunky model from the magazine I was looking at in the lobby, but I think you'll do just perfectly," Cana snickered. "Cana-nee is always willing to sleep with her little sisters anytime! Besides, you're my favorite to cuddle with."

"Just keep it quiet so I can get some shut eye," Gajeel grumbled when Juvia jumped in surprise at Cana's roaming hands. Rolling his eyes, Gajeel dropped his bag on the foot of his bed before falling back. "If Cana can't keep her hands to herself, Juvia, just wake me up and I'll make room for ya."

"I'll just follow Juvia-chan," Cana grinned proudly while patting Juvia's red cheek.

"Stay out of my bed, Cana, or I'll kill you!" Gajeel growled. "Levy is the only woman I'll ever sleep with, but Juvia's like a little sister to me and I won't let you fondle her while we're trying to sleep!"

Cana didn't mind it as she smushed her cheek to Juvia's face. "I'll just kick ya out of the bed so Juvia and I can have more room without your fat ass in the way."

A knock on the opened door to the bedroom caught their attention, where Lucy grinned brightly with Erza behind her and holding shower carriers in both arms. The blonde tried to ignore the position the women were in at her angle, while Cana had a naughty look in her eye as she cuddled herself more to Juvia's back, her hands wandering down to Juvia's skirt. Erza and Gajeel rolled their eyes as Juvia squeaked with red cheeks and tried to escape Cana's hold.

"Ladies called dibs on the first bath," Lucy sang with a nervous smile on her face. Brown eyes looking to Gajeel, the blonde woman tilt her head. "Gajeel, Jellal found some snacks in the mini bar, if you want to help yourself to something before we start making dinner. Erza's thinking about ordering room service."

"Any iron in the kitchen?" Gajeel raised a brow.

Lucy's smile fell and her face twisted into a more irritated look, which caused the man to raise his hands and roll his eyes. "Well, excuse me, blonde princess, for asking!" Gajeel groaned in annoyance. "Sorry that I rather eat scraps than normal food once in a while!"

"You're gonna get fat before going home to Levy-chan," Lucy huffed before leaving the doorway, ignoring how Gajeel looked offended and looked for some backup. Cana laughed rudely and pointed to the Mage before peelings herself off of Juvia.

Erza chuckled under her breath before holding a basket out to Cana, who took it with a childish '_ohh_' and scurried out. "Juvia, come with us so you can take in more water. I don't think you took enough at Lucy's place."

"Hai, Erza-nee," Juvia smiled softly before following the redhead. Before she properly exited the room, she turned her head back to Gajeel and gave off a hard stare. "Gajeel-kun, don't you even think about messing with Cana-nee's things, or so help me Juvia will make sure your skeleton will turn to rust."

Gajeel twitched before crossing his arms. "Whatever…"

Smiling then, Juvia offered a sweet face to her brother-figure. "In the morning, Juvia will find some iron for breakfast. Will that make you feel better?"

Gajeel shrugged, but Juvia knew him better to know that he was thinking about it. Pulling out a cellphone from his pocket, he began dialing. "I'm gonna check on the shrimp, so don't make too many noises comin' in here."

"Tell Juvia's soon-to-be-niece that she loves her and give her kissies for me!" Juvia sang before exiting the bedroom, closing the door the drown out Gajeel's response.

"Damn it! We don't know the sex of the baby yet, Juvia! Quit makin' it sound like it's gonna be a girl!"

=xxx=

The bath area of the suite they took faces the mountainside of the hotel, giving absolute privacy to the bathing guests of the room. For the Mages, it also gives them absolute freedom for the area to be themselves in the comfort of the outdoors. Humans couldn't tell who they were in the baths, with the black tiles and waterfall embedded into the back wall that let out into the starry night and the steam to escape. Fluffy, white towels and plenty of bottles of shampoos, conditioners, soaps and oils were line against the wooden wall next to the sliding door, and then little shower heads by the hot bath.

Juvia was currently sitting in the middle of the bath, settling to shoulder-deep, hot, steaming water with her palms facing upward. Conjuring bubbles from the bath to trap in the steam clouds inside before letting them pop with a circular shape of the trapped steam, Juvia played beside Lucy, who had her blonde hair wrapped in a towel and giggling with amusement.

However, none of the two were expecting Cana to swim behind Juvia and grasp the blue haired woman's breasts, making Juvia shout in fright. Due to that, Juvia's bubbles erupted into handfuls of water and dropped ontop of Lucy's head, unable to make the water evaporate in time to save Lucy's cleaned hair.

"_C-Cana-nee_! Stop it!" Juvia blushed deep red and tried to squirm out of Cana's hold. She was whimpering and crying at the brunette's roaming hands, leaning forward to the sudden weight on her back. "Th-those are..! _Juvin!" _

"Ohh, you've grown a little since last time I checked these puppies out," Cana cooed sexily, fondling Juvia's breasts with joy. "Still not as large as Lucy's glorious ones, but this pleases me well enough, yes it does! Who's Cana's favorite water lady?"

Juvia cried out before splattering into liquid, disappearing into the hot bath as Cana blinked with pouted lips. Lucy sat up further and looked to the surface of the water to sense Juvia's presence floating to her side.

"Cana-nee, you shared Juvia-chan!" Lucy scolded to the older woman, who was still looking to the water, lightly patting the top and mumbling Juvia's name in a chanting song. "You know she freaks out when you do that without warning!"

Juvia returned to her naked, solid form by Lucy's side, only letting the top of her head and eyes peek out of the water while she breathed the liquid instead. curling into a ball, Juvia tried to stop her red cheeks from going any shade darker. Cana's head shot up, catching Juvia's eyes and making her stiffen, but Cana smiled sweetly before sitting into the bath properly on a bench, which reached to her hips.

"Bah, I couldn't help myself!" Cana winked a purple eye to the two. Juvia shivered with embarrassment while Lucy rolled her eyes. "I haven't checked Juvia's chest since _Christmas_. You can't expect me to keep my hands off of them, Lucy; especially when the boys aren't here? Man, I wished this was a girls-only trip."

"Now is not the time to be playing," Lucy pouted before raising her hand out of the water, gently petting Juvia's wet hair to try and get her whole head out and breathe air instead. "Juvia-chan, you okay?"

"Juvia can't handle any more surprises," the water Mage whined as she slowly raised herself back to her shoulders. "Cana-nee needs to warn Juvia next time, or Cana-nee will wake Gajeel-kun up by getting splashed by Juvia!"

"Ooh, that'll be fun," Cana purred, clapping her hands with a cheeky grin on her face. Juvia's eyes widened, then serious before snapping her fingers, which caused a string of water and retracting the heat from it - making it ice cold - to rise up and tickle its way down Cana's bareback. The woman yelped in shock before groaning and trying to warm her back with her hands. "_Juviaaa_, don't be so rough with your nee-san! I just missed you, that's all."

"Cana is right on that," Erza sighed as she slipped into the bath after rinsing out her red hair. "You have been gone for a long time, Juvia. If I remember right, at the Christmas party, you couldn't stay overnight because you needed to take the last train back to Fiore City and get back to work. You know there is a thing called vacation time, right?"

"Juvia knows," Juvia pouted and looked down to her hands in shame. "Juvia doesn't mean to stay away from everyone, but you know… J-Juvia was very dedicated to her work and didn't want to stay away too long. It was selfish of Juvia."

"I don't think so," Lucy shook her head slowly. Leaning back against the far edge of the bath pool, Lucy looked up to the starry sky with a calm expression on her face. "You work so much to take care of yourself and everyone else in our family from problems, so it makes sense. I think out of everyone, your job is probably the most time-consuming, and also probably stressful."

"Juvia never really felt _stressed_, she guesses," the blue haired woman shrugged, wrapping her arms around her knees and drawing them to her chest.

Erza offered a small, motherly smile to the two younger Mages. "Your job has to deal with cases that not even the public are aware of, Juvia. Being a Mage with a fake ID of being Human and _posing_ as one at the government's strongest corporations? That would probably drive me insane - not even the paychecks would have made me stay longer than three days."

"I'd give myself an hour in that place," Cana rolled her eyes, elbows resting on the rims of the bath. "Kudos to Juvia-chan for taking the risk!"

"Mister Vastia and all of Juvia's co-workers were very kind to Juvia, until the very end of it," Juvia smiled uneasily, causing a small moment of silence in the bathroom. Feeling the uncomfortable silence, Juvia plucked her fingers in the water for a tiny bit of amusement. "Juvia knows she probably has angered them for lying, but it doesn't seem like they're mad enough to turn Juvia's identity to the law enforcements."

"It's probably your boss who likes you so much," Cana snapped her fingers in realization. "What was his name? Lyon, wasn't it? He probably told everyone to shut up, or something."

"No, Juvia thinks Lyon wouldn't make his own co-workers stay silent that way," she shook her head, feeling it being too much out of her loving, kind and respected higher official's character to force or threaten anyone like that. Thinking about her boss and friends from her old work, Juvia raised her hand out of the water, letting threads of the bath and scented oils float prettily in the air.

"Juvia misses them and hopes they're all okay," Juvia said with a sad smile, her head tilting to rest on her arm.

"I'm sure they're all fine, Juvia," Erza assured softly, her own hands coming up to touch the floating ribbons of water. "The news hasn't stated any casualties from the hospital, so there is a safe chance that everyone is fine, even with that apparent breakout of that ice."

"Speaking of that," Lucy piped in and brought her head back up, "does anyone recognize the ice at all? Natsu says it's not Gray's ice at all…"

"It's not," Juvia stated firmly. With all eyes on her, Juvia kept her attention on the floating water above the pool. "Juvia has seen all forms of Gray-sama's ice, even when Gray attacked the dance, it was all the same ice Juvia remembers from years ago."

"Are there any other known ice Mages that could match?" Cana asked and both Erza and Juvia shook their heads slowly.

"Jellal and I looked and asked around before leaving work," Erza let the water bounce around her fingers. "Any kind of ice that would have been remotely close to the one at the hospital are in either prison or dead. We looked into the system, too, but there wasn't anything useful. If we had access to the E.N.D. files, the ones Juvia works for, we could have found something."

"But there isn't any, and Juvia has seen a lot," the blue haired Mage added in. "Cases with ice Mages aren't as serious as this one. If Juvia remembers right, _only_ Fairy Tail had the most known strong ice-related Mages."

"Makarov may know more, once we find him," Lucy thought outloud.

Juvia nodded in agreement, yet her thoughts were elsewhere at the moment. Looking to the prancing flows of water in the air, Juvia for once let her muscles relax in the hot water, soaking in the perfect remedy into her body as she counted the stars visible in the sky and the pretty reflection her own water magic gave off in the night.

=xxx=

**Juvia Lockser, employee of E.N.D. as main assistant of Lyon Vastia and head profiler of the convicted Mage department. Lockser is well-known for finalizing Mages files and heading to court cases involving Mage vs Human/Company crime.**

Gray tossed the paper behind his head before looking to the next paper, which was a newspaper clipping of a memorable case that took back two years ago; a woman who put out a fire at a restaurant with related magic, saving many lives that night, and was convicted for starting the fire and sued for property damages, injuries of customers and staff and causing disruption of the peace. Gray vaguely remembered it, not really caring for the case itself, but digging deeper into it.

He could recognize the blurry image of Juvia in the courtroom audience, next two a few other E.N.D. employees. Looking to the file attached to it, Gray read Juvia's handwritten notes of the case but nothing about herself - none of her usual doodles and side notes of whatever was on her mind or to remind herself later. Being bored with that, Gray threw it away and picked up Juvia's personal record that was updated earlier this year, for insurance and emergencies.

**Name: Juvia Lockser**

**Race: Human**

**Evaluation: No tattoo(s); Normal blood pressure and vitals; Vision 20/20 with no irritation; No allergies indicated...**

Gray's lip twitched when seeing her card photograph of her soft smile, right next to her name and assumed race. Gray tried to think of how Juvia could have slipped from the government's fingers to apply to the job, or even pass the physical and observations before even being hired anywhere. But, then again, Gray knew better than to doubt her abilities; seeing her use her own powers to manipulate Human brains and practically turning them into her own slaves, or how smart she was in wording her sentences to confuse the other to being forgiven…

However, looking further to her insurance paper, he saw that there was no emergency contact. Raising a brow, Gray's head tilt as he looked to the medical history of her place of birth, birthdate and head doctor of her family.

While her birthdate matched correctly, Gray knew for a fact that Juvia was not born in Fiore City hospital. From what he remembered in the back of his mind, where his bittersweet memories eased his troubles at night, Gray Fullbuster knew that Juvia was born at her childhood home.

"_Juvia doesn't remember why, but Juvia remembers asking her parents and they said that they didn't want to risk Juvia being taken away."_

While there were hospitals that Mages could go to and have proper medical treatments, such as serious injuries and childbirth, Juvia was the only one Gray knew in his whole life to have been born in the secluded home of her politician parents. He knew that both of Juvia's parents were pro-Mage, as well as donating money to hospitals and shelters to help support both Humans and Mages, but it truly didn't make sense as to why they chose to have their only child born at home. It was old-fashioned, especially from where Juvia was born into.

Juvia had the luxurious life of Mages, which was somewhat rare upon their species in this world. It was common for Mages to have grand amounts of money, yes, Gray knew that his ex-blonde friend from years back came from the same situation, but Lucy was born in a hospital like everyone else he knew and remembered...

No one wanted - or even dared - to kidnap a Mage baby. Human or the same, it was definitely something no one wanted to do with odd babies.

Placing that file back to the table in front of him, Gray kicked his feet off the edge of the marble top and faced the piles of papers and folders. Sol had found everything and anything they confiscated from the building, even any photo that had Juvia's face in it for his master's contentment. Gray isolated himself in the same room he was in yesterday, only having anyone come in after knocking if he felt like seeing another living being. He had stripped himself of his white coat, now exposing his bare, muscular torso with the ink-like stain taking over half of it. At his feet, some empty bottles of whiskey, water and cans of beer littered there, along with a bag of trail mix; an unopened bottle sat at the edge of the table, but Gray hasn't bothered to open it quite yet.

Picking up a framed picture with his stained hand, Gray's red eyes looked over the glossy photograph of Juvia and an unfamiliar silver-haired man by her side. She was wearing a black-knitted sweater and a dark gray tank underneath, her sleeves too long for her slim arms and the excess material bunched on her palm as both of her hands were under her chin. The man with silver hair had his hand on Juvia's shoulder, wearing a white button up shirt and a tie - typical office man who had the eyes set on the money, Gray thought. Juvia was smiling, her perfect teeth in display as her cheeks were pink and her eyes bright and friendly, but also shy. The man was leaning down to Juvia's height to appear better in the picture, but his head was too close for comfort to Juvia, displaying that it wasn't just a photo of a boss and co-worker.

Sol mentioned that they found this in the main office, where the boss of the E.N.D. would have worked in, on the glass desk next to the computer. Juvia's medical file read that she was not married or has been sexually active, but it didn't ease Gray's temper to see someone trying to get close to _his_ Juvia.

Gray has heard of Lyon Vastia, the much loved Human boss and director for E.N.D., working for nearly ten years, he took after his grandfather who was the founder of the company to make lives easier for both Humans and Mages peacefully. Just the thought of the company or the head man himself made Gray want to throw up. This man obviously had something for Juvia, and Gray didn't like it whatsoever.

Although Gray does know that Juvia is most likely not interested in this Lyon the same way as he is, but Gray can't help but feel rage and pure hatred for this Human being close to her. Dropping the framed picture aside on the table, Gray grabbed another paper before a knock pounded on the wooden door from a few feet from him and his table.

"M-Master Gray, it is Sol," a stutter, French-accented voice whispered, making Gray roll his eyes and tsk at the man's behavior. When working for a powerful man, you shouldn't show so much fear.

"I'm busy," was all he responded with and went back to looking around.

"B-but, it's the HQ, sir…" Sol shook as he cracked the door open, peeking his head in and showing the cell phone in his hand. "They wish to speak with you, Master Gray…"

Rolling his eyes, Gray waved his hand over for Sol to come in to the room, which the man scurried to have over the cellphone into the hands of his boss and run back out. Gray craned his neck, pinching the bridge of his nose before bringing the device to his ear.

"This is Gray," he said non-too-happily. He was rather irritated of having someone call so late at night, especially when he's been working scouting through his target's files and prints.

"It's absolute bullshit to get a call asking for more men, Gray," an echoing voice made the ice Mage realize that he was on speaker. "I thought you informed me that you had this covered. I see you on TV, showing off our group like your some kind of celebrity, and I get a call asking for more help?"

"It is covered," Gray bit back. "Although, the men you assigned to me are _idiots_ that don't know the difference between left and right. You can't blame me for having to deal with these amateurs you call assistance for this amount of time."

"And you still haven't obtained Lockser?" the voice was now trying to taunt him, but Gray could only shake his head with a mocking smirk on his face. "You do understand she is most likely going into hiding, thanks to you. Sources say that the victims of your little party at the hall won't talk about how they escaped or how one of my boys were killed."

"Probably too scared. They're Humans after all," Gray rolled his eyes. "Maybe, if you had given me smarter men, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. Hm?"

"You were the one who said could get ahold of Juvia Lockser, aren't you? You said that no one else could handle this job better than yourself, because you said you knew her in the past? I'm going to assume that you've been lying to me now."

"Arlock, you know I don't tickle your chin. I didn't have to put on a skirt and do a little dance for you to let me take this mission," Gray growled out. "I have this under complete control - I just need better dumbasses who aren't afraid of a woman who can fight back."

"Tell me, how close are you to getting her?" Arlock asked darkly. "Do you know where she is now? What she's doing?"

"Most likely going to find the old Guild leader," Gray said uncaringly. "She must have found someone along the way to help her stay undercover, since the news hasn't exposed her profile yet; and they'll most likely won't say who she really is, for the government's sake."

"And do you know where Makarov Dreyar is, Gray?"

"Of course I do. She did well on giving everyone new names and places to live, but that old man doesn't hide well enough like the rest of them," the man reached to his table and grabbed the bottle of whiskey. "I already have someone watching security of the city he's residing in. It won't be long until she goes to seek him out for help, and he's probably going to try and figure us out."

"Must be interesting," Arlock said slowly, "seeing the woman you grew up with after all these years, and now you're going to see the old man who took you in? You must be feeling some kind of nostalgia, Gray Fullbuster."

"None of the sort, Master Arlock," Gray forced his voice to be robotic and emotionless, even though his red eyes were looking to the collection of photos of Juvia's smiley face, her professional stance as she would enter courtrooms and even her shy smile with Lyon Vastia. Inside his chest, his heart was twisting with yearning for her again. Gray wanted to hold her close and never let her go, just like he did in the past whenever she was scared or sad, or when they both slept in the same bed…

"You have one more chance, or I'm sending someone to take over to get the job done." With Arlock's last words of encouragement, the line went dead and Gray was left alone again.

Turning off the cellphone without looking away from the collection of Juvia's face and dropped the device. He didn't care where it landed as he opened the bottle of alcohol and proceeded to drown out his headache after hearing his boss talking to him.

.

.

.

=xxx=

AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE - Not too happy how this chapter came out, but what can you do. Hopefully next chapter will be a bit better, since the team is gonna look for their favorite old man. I'm excited to write Makarov and a couple or so new characters.

Please feel free to Review, Follow, Favorite or none of the above. Please be happy and have a good day.


	10. Chapter 10

I'm so sorry for the late updates, but here you gooo! TwT" By the way, I'm working on how many more chapters this will require until being completed, so take a peek at my tumblr once in a while to see when I figure it out. Or I may put it in the next update. I dunno.

Please, please Review, Favorite, Follow or whatever! Hearing from you all makes my day better and I really want people enjoying my stories and their own day. Stay happy and I'll see you guys again.

=xxx=

.

.

.

Sleeping Beauty

Juvia frowned in annoyance at the sight of herself in the mirror in the main room of the hotel suite she was currently staying in with her non-biological siblings. A black bikini top exposing a lot of her pale skin and breasts was the most eye-catching of the water Mage, and yet her legs were concealed by a silky tie skirt that went a bit past her knees, covering her Guild tattoo on her left thigh and black sandals. On her head was a sunhat, being able to conceal her face from above cameras outside the safety of the hotel room…

It was just showing too much skin for Juvia's taste.

"Ahh, my widdle Juvia-chan looks to _sexyyy_!" Cana squealed in delight as she came up behind her, wrapping her arms around the younger Mage and snuggle her cheek on Juvia's pale skin. Cana was wearing a striped bikini set with a short sleeve button-up to under her breasts, which would hide her black-inked tattoo from view. Her brown hair was mopped up into a messy bun and she had sunglasses sported on the crown of her head. "I can't remember the last time I've seen you in a swimsuit. Ohhh hoho! So precious!"

"C-Cana-nee, Juvia feels exposed," Juvia confessed with red cheeks as she looked away from her reflection with embarrassment. "Juvia is almost naked!"

"Cana, let go of Juvia so she doesn't cry. It took me a good ten minutes to get her to put the top on," Erza spoke as she came out of the bedroom. She was wearing shorts and a yellow bikini top with a swim cover to hide her tattoo on her upper arm. "I practically had to hold her down on the floor to get her shirt off!"

"Did you get pictures?"

"Cana-nee!" Lucy scolded as she came out of the room from where Erza had approached from. Wearing a similar outfit to Juvia, however in the colors of pink and white, the blonde came over and peeled Cana's greedy hands off of Juvia's boobs. Once she got the card Mage off of the blue haired woman, Lucy hugged Juvia with a motherly comfort.

"It's okay, Juvia-chan," Lucy cooed before fixing Juvia's sunhat on her head. "You look great, so don't feel shy to strut your stuff when we get out there, okay? I'll walk with you, too, if you want!"

"Babe, if you're gonna attract some losers to you, I'm gonna kill 'em!" Natsu groaned from the kitchen, no doubt helping himself to a second...no wait, it's his third breakfast of the morning. "Make sure that everyone can see your wedding ring, m'kay? It's on your left hand, Luce!"

"I know, Natsu! Same to you," Lucy rolled her eyes with amusement and shaking her head. It was hard for Juvia to forget how territorial Natsu can get with his own wife and their adopted child; while sometimes he would go out of his way to shield and protect the love of his life and little angel he loves to call his daughter, he could sometimes cause a big mess. "I don't want any women catching your scarf and start dragging you around like a dog."

"Gross!" Natsu gasped and stuck his head from the corner of the counter. Happy walked past Natsu with shrimp in his mouth, snickering teasingly. "I don't want some weird lady treating me like a pet! I mean, you know...if you wanna try that sometime. I-I could probably -!"

"That's not something for everyone to hear, Natsu," Jellal shut the pink haired man up from his spot on the couch. He had his trunk on with a sweatshirt unzipped, the hood up and the sunglasses large enough to cover most of his face. Lucy's face was beat red as she refused to acknowledge her husband's open thoughts as she faced Juvia.

Juvia's eyes wondered adoringly to the blushing blonde woman, her eyes noticing the leather pouch attached to her hip, right on the knot of the pink skirt she was wearing. Juvia's lips twitched to a small smile of the vivid memories of when Juvia discovered Lucy's magic, and how much fun they had as children and growing up.

Lucy noticed Juvia's stare and perked at the attention. "Been awhile since you've seen them, huh, Juvia-chan?" the blonde Mage smiled and opened the leather flap, revealing gold and silver keys. "You should've been around after Christmas Day. God, Plue and Gemini played with Wendy out in the snow and Taurus started making snowmen with Natsu… Scorpio challenged Gajeel to a wrestling match and Aquarius got livid about it."

"Juvia has missed out on a lot of things, it seems," Juvia nodded, picking out which key was who as Lucy named them off. Fiddling with her thumbs, Juvia looked down in slight disappointment. "Juvia thinks, the last time she saw all of them was at Lucy-chan and Natsu-san's wedding...or Wendy's birthday, last year."

"Aquarius will still ask how you're doing all the time," Lucy winked affectionately. "Loke stills asks if you're available and I have to make Aries control him a bit better, but you know how she is. She's so delicate, unlike Virgo."

"If we figure things out, Juvia would like to spend more time with her family," Juvia timidly peeped, making Lucy giggle.

"We would all love that, Juvia-chan," Lucy smiled brightly.

"Oi, Luce!" Natsu called as he left the kitchen. He had his swimwear one with his a shirt to cover his tattoo. His white scarf, however, was wrapped around his head like a ninja band. In his hand was holding Lucy's cellphone. "Guess who's on the phone?"

Lucy's head snapped around and she practically ran to her husband's arms. Once she got a hold of her cell, she pressed it to her ear with wide eyes of hope. "Hello?" she spoke into the phone before breaking into the happiest grin ever. Natsu held her still from bouncing in his arms.

"Hi sweetie pie! Yes, Mama misses you very much," Lucy grinned into the phone and peeked up to her husband, who had that toothy grin on his face. "No, we haven't found Makarov yet, sweetie. Why are you up so early, Wendy? Where's your aunt -? Oh, _your papa_ called you?"

Juvia smiled at the sight of Natsu and Lucy on the phone with Wendy before picking up her beach bag that contained her ID, wallet and some normal tourist content. Looking to the table, Juvia met with Happy looking up to her expectantly, having finished his snack.

"Will you be okay until we get into the resort? They don't allow pets in the hotel," Juvia explained to the Exceed, who grinned in response. "And, instead of closing the bag, I got you this!" Juvia held up a blue and white striped towel, making the speaking cat gasp.

"It's in my color!" Happy cheered as he hopped to his feet, his paws reaching out and the blue haired woman handed the towel to him. Burying his whiskered face into a soft material, Happy sighed in pure bliss. "This is nice...and breathable, too! Thank you, Juvia!"

"Quit spoiling that cat, or he's gonna end up fat and lazy," Gajeel grumbled while eating screws and bolts that were purchased by Juvia earlier that morning. She found a small auto-parts store near the hotel and by a gas station and bought a bag full of what she knew Gajeel likes to munch on. That said, the blue haired woman raised a brow and looked pointedly to the bag he was now holding, making him flinch.

"Juvia could say the same thing about Gajeel-kun," Juvia smiled, making Jellal chuckle behind the bulky man on the couch.

"Enough of fooling around, everyone," Erza's strong voice caught everyone's attention, including Lucy and Natsu who were still on the phone. "Lucy, Natsu, you can walk and talk. We need to get to Ryuuzetsu before it gets busy with customers and tourists. We don't want to cause any problems, you know, incase someone starts to pick a fight…"

The redhead was looking between Natsu and Gajeel, who paled and turned their attention away. Juvia smiled at the old, familiar scene of Erza playing the mother role while everyone else was her little ducklings. Holding the rims of her large bag out to Happy, Juvia let the Exceed plop himself inside the bag and situate the towel for his comfort and hiding himself with it before holding still. Juvia watched as Cana got her tiny, little black shoulderbag that would contain all of her cards that she owned for her powers, like Lucy with her keys. Jellal got up from the couch and approached the fuming redhead with a steal of pressing his lips to the woman's neck.

Despite Erza being the hardcore leader, she was easily gushy and shy when it came to her husband or her marriage overall; Juvia remembered when Jellal purposed to Erza, and the woman started crying her eyes out before smacking the blue haired man while screaming yes over and over. Too bad Jellal was half-conscious to hear her response.

While everyone was leaving the hotel room, Juvia stayed back with Lucy and Natsu to listen in on their conversation. Cana and Gajeel were bickering about how he snored but she went to the bathroom every half hour; Jellal hid his face with his hood and shades, but holding onto Erza's hand and carrying her bag for the pool in his other, and his own wife would complain to the two fighting about how they both were annoying, even if there was a wall separating their room (Jellal and Erza bunked in the same room as Lucy and Natsu).

"Good girl for getting to bed on time, Wendy," Lucy praised softly, sharing the phone with her husband, who had to bend his head to be able to hear his kid's voice. "And Carla didn't have to remind you at all?"

"No!" Wendy chirped proudly, and Juvia inwardly cried at how cute her niece was. She could just imagine her with her long, dark hair in pigtails and holding her doll on Levy's couch. "Aunt Levy and I were gonna go shopping for groceries and she's gonna let me push the cart for her, because the baby makes it hard for Aunt Levy to push."

"That's my girl," Natsu fondly chuckled and Lucy smiled with flushed cheeks. "Make sure that your aunt doesn't carry too much or heavy bags, okay, Wendy?"

"I know, Papa!" Wendy snickered. "Hey, Mama, Papa! Is Aunt Juvia there with you? May I please say I to her?"

"We're on a job right now, sweetie," Lucy reminded her child softly. "How about your aunt calls you around dinner time? Then you can tell her about your side of the job on helping Levy-chan out at the grocery store. Wouldn't that be cool?"

"Oh, yes, yes!" Wendy awed, and Juvia had to hold her cheeks from the sound of Wendy's cute voice. Doing her best not to thrash the beach bag around in her cooing antics, Juvia bit her lip and let a little high-pitched '_Juvin!' _slip from her throat. "I love you Mama! And I love you, Papa! I'll let you two go on your job now, and please kick some butt for me!"

Once Lucy hung up after getting kisses through the phone from Wendy, Natsu snorted a chuckle. "See, babe? Wendy's kisses always give us good luck, no? We'll be able to find Gramps soon, thanks to our little girl's lucky kisses."

"I miss her, Natsu," Lucy whined softly, looking at her phone. The team has made it to the lobby and were now exiting the hotel building. "Do you think she'll be mad at us because we're gone? Oh, my God! What if she completely changes while we're gone and we missed it - like she lost a tooth, or she gets a boyfriend -!"

"My daughter isn't getting a boyfriend with me around," Natsu deadpanned before getting a light smack from his wife. "Nah-ah, my kid ain't gonna date until she's forty, or somethin'!"

Lucy rolled her eyes before taking a glance to the silent blue haired woman, whose cheeks are pink and a little smile on her lips. Grinning, Lucy nudged shoulders with Juvia. "You think you wanna talk to Wendy later? I'm sure she wants to keep you up to date with her side of the job of Fairy Tail."

Juvia's cheeks went into a deeper shade of red. "Juvia would like that."

=xxx=

Ryuzetsu Island is the biggest water park and vacation area in Akane, taking up most of the town in fact. The waterpark was one of the most popular destinations for tourists and guests to hang around; included with a large arcade and restaurant and bar at the sides, children, mothers, fathers, relatives, newlyweds or strangers can be seen and heard at every inch of the place. Both Humans and Mages are allowed to converse and share space publicly, but with regulations for the Mages to follow:

The biggest rule for Mages is to never use their powers in front or around Ryuuzetsu customers or on the property, especially around Humans. If any is seen, the Mage will be arrested immediately for disturbing the peace.

Mages are allowed to have their tattoos displayed, if employed by a Guild (unlike hotels in Akane, who are not too welcoming to Mages staying in their establishments). However, you are not allowed to share information of the Guild you are from or your purpose of being at Ryuzetsu Island. Mages are to show ID, when asked by law enforcements or by staff, if they are not in a Guild of some sort. Any restaurant, bar or entertainment areas welcome Mages as long as it is owned by Ryuzetsu. If you are a Guild Mage and disobey this rule, Ryuuzetsu is allowed to contact the government and have the Guild fined a great deal of money.

Juvia has heard of Ryuuzetsu businesses and fun spots in Akane from work, and from Makarov, too, who would write Juvia plenty of handwritten letters (since it was safer than emails being exploited) about his little adventures. Most of them were Makarov telling stories of how he would be the life of the late-night parties and wake up in random places, or how he would win a big game of bingo and have to hide in the restroom stalls or the children's play equipment from angry people. Juvia's co-workers have spent time there as well for vacations with their families, and Lyon has been there once or twice; he even brought Juvia back small gifts, like magnets of little ocean-themed items or a cute, itty bitty statue of a beachball wearing sunglasses on a lawn chair…

But those are now ruined from the break-in of her office, now destroyed with ice.

Cana let out a low whistle at the interior of the indoor water park, taking in the water slides and fun decorations hanging from the ceiling and on the wall. There was even a small roller coaster and a fake pirate boat for children to play on, while the bars stood on the other side. On the tourist map that Gajeel found before picking this place to start at, there were more themed parks and water places for miles and miles.

"If we ever get lost, you guys can find me on the lazy river with a martini," Cana snapped her fingers with amusement, peeking above her sunglasses to look to Juvia. "Wouldn't be too hard to find, right? I'll probably be singing some made up pirate song about booze and boobs."

Juvia giggled behind her hand while Lucy shook her head at her elder sister-figure's behavior. "What are we going to do with you, Cana-nee," the blonde sighed and rubbed her temple with one hand.

"Well, I might as well bunk with Juvia and we can have a bunch of cats!" Cana smirked before reaching to Juvia's bag, lifting the blue and white towel to reveal a part of Happy's head. "What'ya say, Happy? Think you and Carla can get us started with some of your kittens?"

"K-k… _Kittens with Carla?" _Happy flushed before dropping further into the bag, causing Cana to laugh and leave the Exceed alone. Juvia gently swat Cana's had away from her bag.

"What did I say about fooling around?" Erza politely reminded the three women, approaching them with her hands on her hips, but a small grin on her face. "Come on now, we need to be serious here and figure out where to look for Makarov first."

"Can't Gajeel and Natsu pick up his scent? They got those sensitive nostrils, don't they?" Cana pouted to the redhead, but then frowned deeply when Erza jerked her chin behind her to see Jellal switching gazes between Natsu and Gajeel, who were bickering with each other.

"I say this way!" Gajeel snapped with a chomp of his jaw. Even though he practically towered over Natsu, Juvia knew that height didn't mean a thing to her pink haired friend.

"No, it's the other way!" Natsu pointed the opposite direction. He was on his toes to try and square up to him. "The stink of sunscreen and the chlorine is gettin' to your head!"

"You farted exactly fifteen seconds ago," Gajeel grunted before pointing to a passerby old man, who had a sunburn outline of his shirt and swimtrunks. "That guy had fried peppers with onions with beer last night," he exposed, not really caring how the old man blinked in confusion before continuing on. Pointing to a woman in a red bikini in the distance, reclined with her shades on, Gajeel stomped his foot like a child. "That broad over there started her period three days ago, and she hasn't bothered to keep up on her vitamin medications regularly, like she's suppose to!"

Natsu went red in the face and puffed out his chest. "Oh yeah? Well, that kid other there peed in the kiddie pool area at the pirate boat," he retorted smartly, jerking his thumb to a chunky boy eating ice cream. "Cana had her last alcoholic drink approximately six hours ago, and it was a peach-flavored beer with low calories."

Cana clapped approvingly beside the ladies, while Jellal dropped his head into his hands. Erza's lip twitched with annoyance before noticing Juvia slipping by and poking both Gajeel and Natsu on the shoulders, and both men responded with a questionable blink.

"Gajeel-kun, Natsu-san," Juvia said politely, "despite both of you having wonderful sense of smell, you do realise that you can not pick up Makarov's scent after all these years with his new lifestyle. Master Makarov would have been using sunscreen regularly, his eating habits have changed and he may have been using new soap and shampoo. Did any of you ever thought about that?"

Gajeel and Natsu thought it over for a minute before looking absolutely saddened by Juvia's observations. Over the years of being in the same home, Juvia has taken note on the benefit and flaws of powers a Mage could have, such as scent, elemental powers or even counter factors when with a specific obstacle.

Smiling, Juvia opened her bag and gently pushed the towel and the Exceed a little bit before pulling out the postcard that was hanging on Lucy's fridge. Holding it between her fingers, Juvia stuck it out between the two men, having it directly near their noses.

"Use Lucy-chan's postcard to pick up a scent," Juvia instructed simply. Jellal had the expression of amazement and Erza smiling proudly and crossed her arms. "Master Makarov's fingers have touched this, so the paper material would have soaked in his fingerprint, sweat or whatever Makarov has currently embedded on his skin."

"That's my Juvia," Erza smiled brightly before smacking the her back, causing the blue haired woman to stumble forward a bit and bit back a painful whimper. "Way to take it for the team!"

Juvia let the two men sniff at the card, no one really caring at anyone raising brows or whispering confusion to one another. For those Mages, and this team especially, it was very common to do unusual things in public. That was just how they are, and there is nothing wrong with it.

It took a good minute for Natsu and Gajeel to start picking up the scent of their headmaster before looking at each other with a serious stare. At the same time, with perfect symmetry, the two pointed to the same direction beside Jellal's head, who remained silent and held perfectly still when both passed him.

Juvia pocketed the postcard back into the bag, smiling to Jellal. "The bloodhounds will guide us to the treasure chest!"

Jellal blinked, trying to hold back a mocking laugh. "Did you...just try to do a pirate pun, Juvia?"

"Juvia can't be funny?" the blue haired woman pouted in response, sensing the women coming up behind her and began to follow after them. "So mean, Jellal-san. Juvia doesn't understand how Erza-nee can handle such a humorless man sometimes."

Following the two Mages sniffing the air and occasionally bickering with each other before agreeing to a direction, the team slowly let themselves relax in the open public between Humans and Mages. After seeing plenty of tattooed Mages walking around with ease and actually conversing with Humans, Jellal let his hood fall and give his sunglasses to Erza, who had a proud, happy smile on her lips as she pocketed the shades and held her husband's hand tightly. Cana practically made an inappropriate noise with her mouth as she yanked off her top, catching a few guys' attention that made Juvia stiffen and shove a hand to Cana's face, making the woman laugh.

Overall the waterpark was somewhat welcoming to Mages, as if there was nothing different between a woman with her Guild tattoo on her exposed stomach conversing freely and happily with a group of other women who were Human; the parents watching their children play with each other in the shallow pools and throwing a ball back and forth with happy faces.

"Here!" both Gajeel and Natsu said simultaneously, both pointing to a bar surrounded by palm trees and a overhead of poles for a roof and a tiki-like theme for patios and private booths. The counter was completely decorated with coconuts and weird tiki masks and colorful umbrellas; the menu was written on black with neon markers and lazy doodles of martini glasses and ice cream by the names and prices.

Erza tilt her head to the side, seeing no one but breasted women and the lone bartender visible to them. "Are you guys sure..?" she narrowed her brown eyes to them, making them flinch. "You're not dragging us here because it _looks nice_ to you, huh? Gajeel, I'm going to report this to Levy -!"

"No, this is familiar to Juvia," Juvia stopped the redhead from smacking the two, even though Lucy gave her husband a curious brow of the possibility. "Don't you remember one of Master Makarov's letters? He spoke about a specific bar that had many women around."

"Ah! I recognize it now!" Cana perked joyfully with her hands up. With a few large steps to the counter, Cana slapped her palm to catch the bartender's attention with Lucy, Jellal and Juvia following while Erza gave the two remaining warning stares. "The old fart sent me a bobble head of their tiki guy!"

The bartender made his way over and Cana instantly put on her sexy face. "Hey there, handsome," she purred cheekily, and Juvia instantly went red in the face at how open her sister-figure was being at such a public place. "Say, we're looking for someone. Have ya seen an old man 'bout this tall -" Cana sized up on the counter with her free hand, smiling "- with these funky eyebrows and mustache? He sometimes wears this funny hat, and can I get your number, too? You seem like you know your drinks really well and I could use some fruity drinks now and then."

"I-I'm sorry?" the poor seemed flustered by the brunette's cleavage, making Juvia roll her eyes with amusement and Lucy giggle behind her hand.

"Cana-nee," she scolded lightly before pulling her back to stand up straight. Pulling Cana's top up to under her breasts, Juvia revealed the Fairy Tail tattoo in black ink on the left side of Cana's belly. The brunette blinked before blushing bright red, mumbling about how she was aroused by Juvia's forwardness. Ignoring her, Juvia had the bartender see the tattoo. "We are looking for an elderly man with this tattoo, sir. He would have it on his chest, however."

The young man looked to the tattoo before his eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, yes," he nodded, looking to Juvia with a smile. "Yes, that's Mister Dreyar's mark. You must be his partners, I'm assuming?"

"More like family," Lucy corrected him with a wave of her hand. "You see, my husband tracked down his scent to this particular bar…"

"Oi, I found him too, princess!" Gajeel sneered with hunched shoulders beside Natsu, both too nervous to approach the crowd. Erza and Juvia twisted their heads over their shoulders and gave Gajeel a sharp stare that made him pale and instantly shut up.

Lucy waved Gajeel off nervously, seeing how the bartender seemed to be more cautious. "Anyway, do you know where we can find him? We know it's early, but if you know where he's staying or -"

"He's actually in the private booths," the bartender said politely, beckoning them to follow as he went away from his spot in the corner. "He comes here for breakfast every morning and for dinner. He's one of our usual customers, so we made him a special booth so he's more comfortable."

Excusing themselves past the other tourists and guests of the tiki bar, the team followed the bartender further inside the small installation of the hut to a door. Turning back to the small crowd, the bartender simply asked them to wait until he was given the okay, saying it was one of their policies for the privacy of their beloved customers. Apparently Makarov was a favorite…

Knocking on the door, the bartender cracked it open to let his head through, shielding the rest from seeing the inside of the private room. "Mister Dreyar, it's me."

"Ah! What's happening, my boy?" Makarov's familiar voice caught everyone's attention. "Don't tell me I ran my tab again!"

"No, sir," he responded quickly. "You have visitors...they have the same tattoo as you do, sir. They said they're family?"

Nothing was said then, but it seemed the bartender received a hand gesture of some sort because he pulled back and gave a nod to them. "Go on ahead," he said politely, making room for Erza to take a step forward. "If you would like drinks or food, please let me know."

"Thank you," Erza said before pushing the door open, revealing the all-too familiar face of an old man who practically raised every one of the members of the home.

Makarov was still short, sporting his famous and favorite vacationing shirt and silly hat as he sat on top of the table with a large beer jug in his hand. A whiskered smile on his face, the elderly man chuckled at the sight of the young adults entering the private booth one-by-one. "Hey kids," he chuckled happily. "I was wondering if you were gonna show up. You could have at least called."

"We did, but ya didn't answer," Gajeel snorted before crossing his arms. Juvia was in the back of the crowd, hiding behind the bodies of her family to see the old headmaster inside the room.

"Ah, must've had my cell in my other shirt," Makarov chuckled. Juvia smiled softly at his humor, knowing that the little pieces of him hasn't changed since she last saw him in person. The bartender closed the door behind them, leaving them alone.

"So, I take it you have seen the news?" Natsu cocked his head to side, and Juvia could see the tip of his hat. She didn't want to push her way through her friends to see him, so she waited patiently. "About what happened at E.N.D. -?"

"Of course I have," the old man grunted. "We both saw it together at the night of the party, you dork. We don't miss that for nothing."

Blinking, Juvia was confused by his words of 'we'. From what she remembered from the letters sent from the old headmaster, he stated how he enjoyed being alone and free to go wild. Trying to think of who else could be close to the Ryuuzetsu Island resort, Juvia jumped a little at the sound of Makarov setting his drink on the table with force.

"Well? Do you guys know where Juvia is?" he grumbled in a whine. "The news won't talk shit about what's going on after that little shit made his debut."

Gajeel's large hand plopped on top of Juvia's head, whistling for Erza, Lucy, Cana and Natsu to make way and directing the shorter woman to take a few steps ahead. Blinking, Juvia obeyed the iron Mage's order and let herself bump to the table. She felt embarrassed being put on the spotlight like that, so suddenly, that she couldn't help her blush as she kept her eyes downcast.

She heard Makarov make a low noise, making her shut her eyes. "I recognized your water marks on the Mage that was killed by being boiled alive, Juvia," he said quietly, in a firm voice. "I was beginning to think you were eventually caught."

"Juvia is sorry, Master," she peeped. "Juvia exposed herself infront of her Human co-workers and endangered them, but she did her best to save as many people as possible."

After a long minute, Juvia heard two, deep-voiced chuckles. One was familiar to Makarov, for sure, but the other one belonged to someone else. "Don't be sorry. I'm proud of you, Juvia," Makarov said softly, making Juvia open her eyes to stare to the table. "You did the right thing possible to save as many as you could."

"Don't tease her too much, Makarov," the other voice scolded the old man, and Juvia felt her heart stop for a good few seconds. "My poor dear can't handle being yelled at so much, you know. After everything she's been through?"

Raising her head, Juvia looked to the corner of the booth, where a man sat in a chair beside Makarov, a beer in his hand. He had dark hair that was slicked back, revealing a large scar on his forehead and eyes that were piercingly dark as well. He had a light fuzz on his chin and jawline, making him a tad bit more rugged than he usually was, she knew, but still maintained a muscular body that no doubt rivaled with Gajeel. He wore a black tank and swimtrunks, and that snarky grin that would usually make women fall head over heels.

But, for Juvia Lockser, it made her eyes swell with tears and her lower lip quiver.

"F-Father-sama..?" she whispered in a quiet voice, raising her head a bit more to see him chuckle.

Silver Fullbuster gave her a wink, a familiar greeting she was used to seeing during the winter back at the Fairy Tail home. "Hey there, sweetheart. It's good seeing you still breathing."

=xxx=

"_Juvia!" _

_The blue haired teenager blinked at the call of her name, but ignored to respond as she stood in the familiar yard of the Fairy Tail home, where she usually practiced with her friends for good hours. Her attention focusing solely on the little white flakes falling from the sky so prettily. She couldn't look away from the interesting sight of the first snowfall of the year; how the sky was the most interesting shades of semi-dark clouds and making the most beautiful designs from frozen water._

"_Juvia, goddammit!" Gray's voice came up from behind her, his feet crunching the snow on the ground. She could feel his body heat behind her exposed body, only wearing her pajamas and slippers in the cold weather. "What did I say about coming out here without a jacket? You're going to get sick."_

"_It's snowing, Gray-sama," Juvia peeped childishly, still looking to the sky with wonder in her eyes. Her lips were forming a small smile at the noise of her boyfriend groaning in slight annoyance. "It's snowing, see? It's pretty!"_

"_I know it's snowing, Juvia. The news said that it was going to snow sometime this week," Gray rolled his eyes. Opening his unzipped jacket as wide as he could, Gray took one more step towards her and pressed his toned chest to her back, wrapping her inside his coat and holding her in his arms. "You need to stop taking off so early in the morning. I thought you fell in the toilet or something."_

"_Juvia wanted to see the snow," she simply told him, finally peeking up to see him shake his head with a smirk on his lips. She smiled to him and looked back up to the sky. "Juvia wants to see the snow, because -."_

"_You rarely ever got to see snow as a kid, I know," he said before pressing a soft kiss to her temple. Nuzzling his nose into her hair, he heaved a sigh and held her closer. "Still doesn't excuse you from having me wake up to an empty bed like that."_

"_Juvia didn't want to wake Gray-sama," she shrugged with a playful smile. "Gray-sama looked so cute sleeping, Juvia couldn't bring it to herself to ruin the sight. You looked like a little baby!"_

_He groaned again and hid his face into her hair. "You're a handful sometimes, you know that? Comin' out here without a coat just to see it snow, and I have to find you without waking the whole house up. You should have woken me."_

"_Juvia thinks it's funny to see Gray-sama fuss around."_

_He lightly bit her neck, tickling her to jump and squeak her usual catchphrase whenever she was startled or surprised. He chuckled and pressed a small kiss to the bitemark before kissing her cheek lovingly. "Come on, Juvia. Get back inside before you get sick, or Erza will kill me."_

_The teenager pouted and looked up to him. "Juvia can't feel her toes…"_

_Sighing as he let her go to face her front, Gray stripped himself of his jacket and wrapped her small body with it, zipping it closed before lifting her up in his arms. Juvia wrapped her arms around his neck and hid her face into his neck instantly, smiling at how he didn't complain on carrying her back into the house through the sliding door._

_Having come from the kitchen's patio, Gray followed Juvia's trail and sat her on the counter so he could close the door. Seeing how her boyfriend was shirtless as his usual sleepwear, Juvia pouted again when his toned body closed the glass door and locking it. When he turned back, Gray saw her small scowl and raised a brow._

"_What's the face for?" he asked, making his way back to her, resting his palm on either side of her on the counter, leaning to be nose-to-nose with her._

"_Gray-sama can handle the cold just fine, yet Juvia can't," she said, crossing her arms in his coat. "Juvia doesn't like it. She wants to watch the snow fall."_

"_You can see it just fine from the window, Juvia. It's an ice Mage thing, okay?" he explained to her before gently grabbing her ankle and tugging her slipper off. Trying to stimulate the blood flow to her slightly-blue feet, Gray began rubbing under the arch and pinching her little toes. "Training for that was a pain in the ass, though. I had to sit out in the mountains in my underwear for a good week. No fire, no hot food or a tent to sleep in. You wouldn't like that."_

_Juvia watched him with a smile, seeing him pamper her and trying to warm her up. Even though it wasn't necessary for her body to be treated for hypothermia, she thought it was sweet of him to do so. "Did Gray-sama do it with Father-sama?" she asked, making him flinch at the affectionate name for his dad._

"_What did I say about calling him that, Juvia? It's one thing to call him _dad, _but adding the suffix makes it really weird," he twitched, his thumbs rubbing her feet hard and she giggled at the ticklish feeling on her skin._

"_He asked Juvia to call him 'Dad', but Juvia thinks that 'Father' is more suitable for him. It's classy, but still respectful," she flexed her foot when Gray switched to the next one. "The suffix is because Father-sama is Gray-sama's father, and he reminds Juvia of her Gray-sama very much."_

"_Don't say that…" he huffed. "Don't say I'm like my dad."_

"_Now, why is that such a bad thing, my boy?" Silver's booming voice made his son pale and Juvia to perk with a bright smile._

"_Father-sama!" Juvia cheered with her hands up in the air, flapping Gray's coat sleeves with excitement. "It's snowing outside, Father-sama!"_

_Silver, dressed in a white shirt and baggy sweatpants, strolled into the kitchen with a mug of coffee in his hand, while the other was in his pocket. "I see, sweetheart," he chuckled fondly. "You went outside again, didn't you? I heard Gray scurrying around the halls looking for ya."_

_Gray's cheeks went pink, jerking his head away from him. "Shut up, old man. You'd do the same thing if you woke up to see her missing," he grumbled, tickling Juvia's foot on purpose to make her giggle. Standing up, the teenage boy leaned against the counter by Juvia, letting her wrap her arms around his neck and rest her head against his. "Aren't you suppose to be on the train already? I thought you left last night."_

"_I had a couple drinks with Makarov," Silver said all-too-happily, making Gray frown at his father's passive behavior. "I managed to get a renewed ticket for this afternoon, so I'll have a chance to say a proper goodbye to my son and future daughter-in-law!"_

_Juvia smiled cheekily when Gray groaned in embarrassment. "Father-sama is all packed and has his bags ready, like Juvia told you to?"_

"_I did, angelface," Silver grinned. "I'll be sure to get you a special present on my next job. You've been doing good at keeping Gray out of trouble, so I'll get you an early Christmas present."_

"_Don't butter her up, Dad," Gray snapped at the older man, pulling his girlfriend closer to his side. "You're making it weird!"_

"_She's my future daughter-in-law, right? It's only normal for me to treat her like a princess, right, child?" he smirked to Juvia, who grinned and simply shrugged. This made Silver make a face that was so much like Gray's when he gets in trouble. "Aww, c'mon, sweetie pie. Don't you like being spoiled?"_

"_Juvia is satisfied seeing Father-sama happy and healthy," she said, raising her head off of Gray's shoulder and taking a peek to Gray, who had that look of disinterest on his face. "Juvia knows that Gray-sama gets crabby when Father-sama clings too much. Juvia thinks that Gray-sama prefers her cuddles and doesn't like it when Father-sama hugs Juvia…"_

_Gray covered Juvia's blabbing mouth, trying his best to not blush any shade darker in front of his father. "Th-that's enough. Juvia, I'm taking you back to bed and putting you under an extra blanket. You were in the cold for too long."_

"_Oh!" Juvia blinked. "Can Gray-sama still cuddle Juvia?"_

"_Use protection!" Silver blurted out suddenly. "Gray, I put a bag in your room with some...you know, things that may happen while I'm gone."_

"_Pro...protection?" Juvia blinked. "You mean for..?"_

"_D-Dad!" Gray practically shouted._

"_I don't want to be a grandfather yet, okay? You can't blame me for being worried for you two," Silver shrugged, clearing his throat. "You know, your mother and I were together around your age, and we did some -!"_

"_Father-sama…" Juvia's face glowed bright red. "W-we're not -!"_

"_The thing is, because we did some crazy stuff back then, I just want you two to be prepared for whatever happens! Kids these days!"_

"_Damn it, Dad, get out of here already! Juvia and I aren't doing anything, you old fart! We're sixteen, for God's sake!"_

"_Gray-sama, please don't yell…"_

"_Just remember that condoms have experation dates, alright? I also put a coupon in there incase you ran out quicker than I expected. Juvia! Make sure Gray uses the bottle of -! Sweetheart, why do you look like you're going to faint? Are you okay?"_

"_You're freaking her out, Dad! Shut up!"_

"_Don't tell me to shut up, Gray. I'm trying to look out for the both of you! You're my only kid and I don't want you screwing this up for Juvia!"_

"_Screwing up for..? THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSE TO MEAN!"_

"_MY DAUGHTER-CHAN IS A PRECIOUS CINNAMON ROLL AND I WILL NOT HAVE YOU MAKE HER SORE, SO USE THE GOD DAMN LUBE!"_

"_THE HELL IS ALL THAT NOISE DOWN THERE?"_

"_Shit, we woke up Erza."_

=xxx=

"I barely see you for _three years_, and here you are even more _beautiful _and _radiant_ than I remember! My darling Juvia-chan, I was so worried about you!"

Silver lost his cool composure once when Juvia started crying, becoming that usual, dorky father-figure she remembered as he got up from his seat and hugged Juvia tightly. His stubble cheek scratching Juvia's face as he rubbed his face against her in a snuggling fashion, Silver had lifted the water Mage a good foot off the ground for a welcoming hug in front of the team and Makarov, who went back to sipping his beer.

Juvia whined happily, her tiny hands gripping Silver's tank as tight as she could. This was quite normal between them, whenever Silver had come to visit the home for Cedar Town for the holidays, the man would make a graceful entrance until he sets his sights on Juvia; with that, he would then lose all of his composure and practically turn into Cana's father, Gildarts, whenever he got to see his daughter.

Or, like whenever Erza saw cheesecake. Whichever is better.

"Silver, put her down before she falls apart, you dork," Makarov said calmly, making the man freeze and realize that the rest of the younger folks were staring wide-eyed at him.

Silver gently set Juvia to her feet, but didn't let her go completely. She had eventually stopped her tears and grinned to him, making the man sigh in bliss and examine her face. "I knew you'd make it out there safely, sweetheart," he told her proudly. "I was worried though, seeing the hospital and then the E.N.D. building getting attacked got me a bit antsy."

"He was tempted to go out and look for you himself," Makarov explained thoroughly. "When I figured you kids were gonna come looking for me, I told him to wait to see if they had Juvia. Although, I wasn't too sure since she was all the way in Fiore City and made it out in time…"

"Juvia-chan swam all the way to Cedar from the ocean. She had a small wound to her ribs, and used a lot of her powers during her fight," Lucy said, startling the older ice Mage to a stilled state as he gave the blue haired woman a wide-eyed stare. "B-but...she's recovered! We're still making her drink water and rest up as much as -!"

"_What did that little shit do to you?" _Silver Fullbuster howled, making Juvia and everyone else flinch at the volume of his voice and the major harshness of his tone.

Makarov blinked before clapping his hands. "Oi, Cana, my dear," the elderly man grinned dorkly. "Why don't I treat you to one of my favorite drinks, hm? In fact, why don't I treat everyone to a drink! It's happy hour somewhere in this world, yes? Follow me, kids!"

"We ain't kids no more, Gramps!" Natsu whined when Makarov hopped off the table and proceeded towards the door.

"Hush, Natsu," Lucy whispered before grabbing her husband's hand and dragged him after their old headmaster. Slowly, Jellal gently escorted Erza and Cana after them while Gajeel closed the door to leave the last two inside.

Juvia swallowed at the hard stare Silver was giving her. Granted, it wasn't the first time she has seen that look on his face, but it was never directed towards her. Breaking the eye contact, Juvia looked down to his shirt, unable to meet his eyes without her own filling with tears; she hated crying in front of people, Silver being one of those few who she would refuse to shed a tear in his presence. Juvia wanted to be strong, but it was still -!

Feeling the familiar, warm hand on the back of her skull, Juvia's head was pulled a bit forward to press against Silver's hard chest. His other arm wrapping around her shoulders in a more gentle, tender hug that wasn't like the desperate, needy one he greeted her with.

"He hurt you, didn't he?" he asked in a low voice, and Juvia felt her stomach drop at the suggestion he was thinking. "I saw him on the TV, Juvia, just tell me what he did."

"He didn't lay a hand on Juvia, Father-sama…" her voice came out too quiet and she wasn't too sure if he heard, but she kept on talking in that tone. "He tried to hold Juvia in a hug, she thinks, but Juvia jumped and that's how she got hurt."

The hand on her head gently rubbed her scalp, and a few tears slipped from her big eyes when she realized that yes, Silver could hear her in her croaking voice. "He told his men to not hurt her, but he wasn't Juvia's Gray-sama…"

"I'm just happy you're safe, sweetie," Silver told her with that comforting tone that she missed so much. "I'm so happy you're okay, Juvia. I would have gone nuts if the kids came in without you."

She really couldn't hold in her sobs and small wail in the back of her throat. Shutting her eyes tightly, Juvia let out a pathetic whine as she snuggled her face on Silver's shirt, soaking it with tears as her hands grasped the material for dear life. "Gray is alive, Father-sama," she cried to him. "Gray's alive."

"I know, angelface," he gently hushed her and held her close. His expression was hard, but his eyes were also sorrowful for the news that has been plaguing his mind for the last few days. What bothered him more was the fact that the water Mage was crying and afraid. She was afraid, and he could feel and see why she was so afraid right now.

"You're okay now, Juvia. I'm here," he told her softly, embracing her a bit tighter to bring her the comfort she probably needed the most right now. "I'm right here, honey. Your family is here for you and you're safe now, okay? No one is going to hurt you while I'm here."

Juvia nodded against him, sobbing hard against him and clinging to the only father-figure she had in her life. The man who practically adopted her with welcoming arms and considered her a part of his family, even before her engagement with his son…

Outside of the door, Makarov looked up to the Mages waiting silently and patiently for his next orders. It has been a stressful last couple of days, he felt, dealing with the attack on one of his children by one they thought has died years ago; a ice Mage who was a father and very protective figure to the poor young woman inside the room, having stayed up for nights and fighting with Makarov to go out and search for the two.

He could really use a drink in both celebration for Juvia's safety, and to hear what was going to come next.

Offering a small grin to the young adults, Makarov waved a hand for his kids to venture back to the tiki bar and take seats on the spinning stools. "So, what does everyone want to drink? Gajeel, I hear that Levy is going rather well so far on her pregnancy! It's going to be a little girl, right?"

Makarov enjoyed the sight of Gajeel paling and the others laughing at the situation of being put on the spotlight. He missed that sight for a very long time.

.

.

.

=xxx=

AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE - Because Silver makes everything more emotional and I'm still pissed that he'S NOT AN IMPORTANT CHARACTER IN THE MANGA, LIKE WHAT THE FUCK. HE WOULD MAKE TONS OF DAD JOKES AND YEAH.


	11. Chapter 11

I should have the amount of chapters remaining in the next update for you guys. And thanks to those who Review - it's really sweet to hear from everyone and it makes me happy when people do so, as well as talk about me for recommendations on tumblr (which I found out recently and went red in the face in embarrassment).

Please feel free to Review, Follow, Favorite or nothing at all. Have a wonderful day and enjoy!

=xxx=

.

.

.

Sleeping Beauty

Fiddling with the empty glass she found in the bathroom to rinse out after brushing teeth, Juvia stared blankly to the tiled wall of the combined shower and tub. In her silky pajamas and her long, wavy hair tangled into a poorly wrapped bun on top of her head, the Mage woman curled a bit more inside the porcelain tub and rest her head against the chilly wall.

She doesn't understand why she goes to the bathroom when she's upset. She could have gone into the hot spring baths to see the stars and be left alone there, but she instead snuck into the western bathroom and closed the door behind her. The lights were too bright from being in the dark suite for so long, but she didn't care. She just curled herself into a ball and simply sat in the tub like a security blanket, as if the little room to refresh yourself and clean up would take care of her and keep her safe for a while.

It became a habit of hers when she was recovering from her last mission with Gray, all those years ago.

Closing her eyes, Juvia hugged the cup to her lap and recalled her one-on-one with Silver Fullbuster, while everyone else stayed out of the private booth to fruity drinks and chips while the two spoke.

"_Father-sama, you have seen the news with him in it, right?"_

"_Of course I did, angelface." _His voice was soft and firm, but she was done shedding tears and crying against him. There wasn't time for begging for comfort or support for her.

"_Juvia wants to know if Father-sama knows what happened to Gray. With his...black markings on his body. Do you know what it is, Father-sama?"_

She remembered how Silver kept a long pause between them before answering. He didn't look her in the eye when he nodded, instead focused on his hand holding his beer mug. When he didn't say anything else, Juvia pressed on to get a more clear-cut answer from her father-figure.

"_Father-sama, please. At least tell Juvia what it is, and she won't tell anyone else."_

Silver chuckled at her promise, knowing fully well that the blue haired woman was very good at keeping secrets for anyone confiding to her. Trailing his gaze up his muscular limb holding his drink, Juvia followed to see an interesting tattoo of a triangular design like a bracelet on his forearm. She remembered seeing the tattoo plenty of times before when he visited the home and how Silver usually wore longer sleeves to conceal his arms, but never his chest, where his Guild tattoo was in the same spot as his son adorned when he reached the age.

"_You know how there are plenty of Mages with different classes, yes? The Slayers?" _he asked her and Juvia leaned back with a confusing blink in her seat. "_You are aware of them, yes?"_

"_I am. Natsu-san and Gajeel-kun are registered Dragon Slayers, and Juvia remembers a trial of another Dragon Slayer by the name of Cobra," _she explained. "_Wendy is most likely a Dragon Slayer, but she has not shown signs of transformation yet; there is also God Slayers, which is a bit more rare and are classified with the government. There is Demon Slayers, but Juvia was informed that they were more of a myth."_

"_It is true that God Slayers are more rare, since they don't fully transform during a emotional turmoil like Dragons do," _Silver told her carefully and Juvia nodded, knowing fully well the difference between Dragons and Gods. "_Demon Slayers are also real, my dear daughter-chan, because I am a classified Demon Slayer."_

Juvia flinched sharply when Silver's arm tattoo began growing on his skin, spreading black ink through the creases of his skin and spreading down to his hand and up to his chest and neck. She covered her mouth with one hand to bite back a whimper and hold her tears when the black ink crawled up his angular face and his once-piercing, dark eyes turned to a gleaming red. With his hair usually slicked back, Juvia could see the resemblance of Gray and his father with the black stains and rusty-colored eyes.

Cracking his neck, as if adjusting to the sudden change to his body, Silver heaved a deep breath before giving the still woman a soft smile. "_It's okay, sweetheart," _he told her, and Juvia realized that she was hunched and staring at him with horror. "_Don't worry about it, okay? Please don't cry…"_

Juvia's hands instantly went to her wet cheeks and she tried wiping them away. Shaking her head to him with apology, she sniffed when Silver waved it off with his normal-looking hand with complete gentleness.

"_This is what Demon Slayers may look like in half-transformation, Juvia. Gray is currently in that form as of right now, but it doesn't seem like he can go any further with it from what I see…"_

Juvia kept still and silent and Silver reached up to pull his shirt down to reveal the black patterns covering most of his Guild tattoo to nearly disappear underneath, somewhat like Gray as well. "_Unlike the Dragon and God Slayers, Demon Slayers can lose their normal form, like tattoos, birthmarks and scars. If I were to completely transform in front of you, you wouldn't have been able to figure out it was me."_

"_B-but...Juvia was told that those classes of Mages can only change under the impression of deep emotions, like anger and violence," _Juvia whispered under her breath, remembering how she saw Natsu changed during one job with her and Lucy; Gajeel was like that too when he first came in to the home and how Makarov had Juvia work with him on his emotions and feelings, which made their friendship blossom into a brother-sister friendship. "_Father-sama isn't under any intense emotions, is he?"_

"_No. Devils like me can transform on command once we understand the power," _Silver explained. "_That's why I do more solo jobs for the government, because they don't trust me working with others on the job. We're more of the kind that the government doesn't want to deal with, like Dragons and Gods, since they only transform rarely."_

"_Have you ever taught Gray how to use it?" _she asked him.

"_No. That's what is confusing me about it all because I never taught him anything on how to use it, if he even inherited it from me. His mom wasn't classified of anything, like most Mages," _Silver shook his head, the black marks receding back into the _mark, _not an actual _tattoo. "I know he has seen me in my transformation once, but he was pretty young. I have spoken about it to him, but he never seemed interested."_

"_How do you obtain the Demon Slayer if you're not under the impression of deep emotions, Father-sama? It makes no sense to Juvia."_

"_When a Demon Slayer host experiences immense emotions, much like Gods and Dragons, that's how it is sparked. After that, it's all on the host's choice to transform and use the powers whenever they want." _Silver blinked his eye color back to normal and took a sip of his drink. "_How I obtained it was when Gray's mother, Mika, died while we were living in a Mage district that was under attack by protesters. That was the only time I ever let Gray see me that way when he was just a little, little kid."_

Juvia was well aware of Gray's mother and how she passed away. A government idea gone wrong years ago, trying to contain Mages to live separately from Humans, and it became a target point for anti-Mage groups to attack with violence. Thankfully, the government eventually terminated the idea of trying to separate the Mages from the Humans and created the act of Mages to conceal their identities among the public. Juvia was eventually told by Gray what had happened to him and his family years ago, yet he was somewhat distant about it because he couldn't remember much.

"_Juvia does not know why Gray would have triggered the Demon Slayer inside him, Father-sama. Juvia does not understand…"_

"_Neither do I, angelface."_

Juvia opened her eyes, fingers gently rubbing the glass in her hands as she leaned her head back on the wall with a distant look on her face. She wasn't tired and couldn't stop thinking about Gray and Silver and everything that has happened to her in the last few days of her life - The once simply of living everyday as a normal woman in the city was quickly ripped away from her at a night that was suppose to be glamorous and take all her troubles away for the night.

The soft click of the door opening made Juvia tilt her chin back to normal, seeing a sluggish Cana pulling in Lucy by the sleeve of her pajamas. Cana was sleeping on plaid pants and her bra and Lucy was in her usual button-up pajamas, both squinting at the sudden change of light in the bathroom.

"There she is," Cana slurred deeply as she let go of Lucy's sleeve and plopped down on the tiled floor, crawling over to the tub Juvia was in and propping her arms upon it to rest her chin. "Juviaaa, what are you doing up? It's really late, you knooow…"

Lucy rubbed under her eye as she joined into the small bathroom and closed the door. Being a bit more awake (and sober) compared to the brunette Mage, Lucy offered a small smile. "Cana-nee came and woke me up because she didn't know where you went," she explained in a quiet voice, coming over to join the two by sitting on the rim of the bathtub. "She saw the light under the door and dragged me over."

"Juvia is sorry," she frowned and peeked over to Cana, who was staring at her with a childish pout. Juvia reached over and gently pet Cana's soft hair, making the semi-drunk woman begin purring and smile. "Juvia couldn't sleep very well. She didn't mean to worry anyone."

"It's okay," Lucy cooed, seeing the position she was in. "Do you need anything? You wanna talk about it at all, Juvia-chan?"

The blue haired woman shrugged, letting Cana snicker under her breath and slip into the tub and practically on top of Juvia's lap and snuggle her. Juvia allowed it completely and let Cana steal the cup and look for the booze that she assumed would be hidden inside. The water Mage in return wrapped her arms around Cana and rest her head against her when the other was saddened by the reality of alcohol.

Lucy smiled warmly at the sight and proceeded to drop in to the other side of the tub and curl herself there comfortably. The blonde scooted a bit closer to the pair and leaned on Juvia's leg, hugging her knee with a gentle squeeze. "You know that it's okay to be afraid, Juvia-chan. You don't have to hide it infront of us, remember?"

"Juvia knows," she answered barely above a whisper to her friend, and Lucy nodded in understanding. "It's just...Juvia doesn't want anyone to get hurt. Juvia feels as if something bad will happen to her family if she remains here any longer."

"You know that is takes looots of bitches to get us outta here, muffin," Cana purred sweetly as she kissed Juvia's cheek, making the victim of her affection blush cutely. "No way is Cana-neechan gonna leave her favorite water baby to the dogs!"

"Cana-nee is right, Juvia-chan," Lucy approved somewhat. "We're going to figure everything out soon, you'll see. After all this, we can all take a big family vacation somewhere and have tons of fun. So please, if you ever need to talk to someone about anything that is bothering you, we are right here with you, Juvia-chan, and we are not going to leave you behind."

Juvia took a deep breath and bit her lip. "Juvia just...she doesn't know how to feel about Gray being alive, but he's not Gray-sama, is he?"

"They both start with a '_G', _you adorable babe," Cana cooed, nuzzling under Juvia's chin and hugging her childishly.

Juvia and Lucy ignored her and the blond gently squeezed the sad Mage on her knee. "Well, what was it like when you first saw him at the E.N.D. ball, Juvia-chan? What was going through your mind or how did you feel?"

Juvia blinked and made a face of considering the questions. Tucking her chin down shyly, the blue haired woman used Cana's bouncy hair to hide her unshed tears.

"Juvia felt like it was too good to be true that he is alive," she mumbled lowly, closing her eyes to try and keep her emotions at bay. "Part of Juvia _now_ doesn't want to believe it."

Cana noticed the tone of her voice, cracking her eyes open and switching the positions to hold and cradle Juvia this time, all while Lucy hummed softly and joined closer to the small pile, cuddling the water Mage's open side and resting her head on Juvia's shoulder.

It really didn't take long for Lucy and Cana to fall asleep in the tub and leaving Juvia alone with her thoughts once more, but the comfort and softness of her sister-figures bodies holding her and giving her warmth compared to the chilly material of the bathroom. It is weird how icy, cold substance restores energy into her body and then heat and warmth forces her to relax and remain still. It was always how her body worked when it came to water or temperature…

Being surrounded by warmth, Juvia remained calm and sought the comfort of Lucy's head on her shoulder and Cana's arms wrapped around her like a stuffed animal. Even though her head was still spinning with the events that has occurred in the recent days and stress, it nearly brings her to tears of happiness that she's not alone.

Closing her eyes, Juvia hid her face into Cana's brown hair and warm neck and pretended to be asleep incase either one were to wake up or someone comes in looking for them. It would take a long while for her to actually fall asleep at night, too many memories plaguing her thoughts.

_The sheets were dark and the room was somewhat cold, but it didn't really bother either of them._

_Limbs tangled and a blue head nestled against the pillow with curled fingers against his exposed chest, Gray kept his head propped with his elbow as he carefully watched Juvia sleep; her ribs slowly rising and falling underneath the thick blankets with each breath she takes and her long lashes fluttering as she dreamt so close to him. Her curly hair was a mess and he was sure his own dark hair was no better in comparison. Some strands of her bangs stuck at the frames of her face and it made his free hand itch to reach up and brush them away._

_Falling to the temptation, Gray carefully reached to her flushed cheeks and brushed his thumb to remove a lock of her bangs from tickling her eyes. He watched her inhale sharply when he tucked it behind her ear and patiently waited for her pretty, sleepy eyes to open and focus up to him. Blinking a few times, Juvia's cheeks went to a deeper shade of pink as she wrapped the blanket to hood over her head as she gushed at the intense stare he was giving her._

"_Good morning, Gray-sama," she whispered shyly, her voice still sleepy and quiet and it made him smirk handsomely down to her._

"_Mornin'," he responded before dropping a gentle kiss to her head, listening to her sigh dreamily before trailing his mouth down her cheek to the corner of her lips. Wrapping an arm around her cocooned form, he held her closer to him. "How do you feel?"_

"_Juvia feels amazing," she gushed softly, tilting her head to have their lips brush and press a small kiss. She made a soft giggle, feeling his hand gently rubbing her blanket covered back. "Juvia feels perfect."_

"_Not sore at all? Nothing hurts, does it?" he frowned and pulled back enough to look into her eyes. She was all smiley and sparkling in the poorly-lit cabin room, but he could read her so much better than most._

_Her long legs slipped up to hook around his hip, causing the seventeen year-old boy to suddenly freeze and go red in the cheeks. She giggled and he swore to whatever god existed that she was doing it on purpose to make him falter his cool demeanor. Skin upon skin, Juvia purred happily as she raised her head up to kiss his chin repeatedly while he was obviously lost in his own world._

"_If Juvia was in any sort of discomfort, she would not hide it from Gray-sama," she said against his jaw before plopping her head back down on the pillow. "However, Juvia is curious of why the room is still cold from last night. Can Gray-sama humor me on this, please?"_

_Looking away with a twitchy brow, Gray refused to meet her playful eyes as she scooted close to his equally nude body under their blanket, her arms stroking up his chest slowly and playing with his Guild tattoo on his pectoral and his silver necklace. "It's...it's not like I meant to do that last night -! Don't laugh!"_

_Juvia's angelic giggle made him more flustered and uneasy, even though she truly didn't mean to bother him that way. She made it up by nipping under his jaw and neck, slowly calming him down and return to embrace, his arms circling outside of the blanket and hauling her closer to him. It made her sigh sweetly at the feeling of his strong hands holding her._

_Peeking over his shoulder to look at the nightstand, sudden memories of the previous night's activity between the two flooded her mind at the sight of the empty wrapper on the nightstand. A tiny smile curling on her lips, Juvia nuzzled to his boiling skin, relishing the intense warmth his body supported to her more fragile one._

"_Gray-sama was very gentle with Juvia," she said suddenly and felt him stiffen under her hands and it made her smile a little bit bigger as she closed her eyes. "Gray-sama took very special care of Juvia last night."_

"_I-isn't that what boyfriends suppose to do?" he grumbled, making her eyes snap open and lean back to stare at him. He only had to blink a few times at her expression before nodding. "I mean fiancee. Really. Sorry, it's going to take some getting used to."_

_Juvia pouted cutely before tucking herself against him once more, letting his hand comb through her hair soothingly. "Same as when Gray-sama couldn't call Juvia his girlfriend for the first month when we were thirteen."_

"_Oi, you know I'm slow when it comes to stuff," he whined, making her grin once more._

_Cuddling her cheek against his neck, Juvia breathed slowly and let her fingertips graze his collarbone and tattoo to the point it made him grumble and pull her even closer to him. Her face softening when he gently held her cheek, Gray swore that his heart skipped a beat and his face went red from complete distraction._

"_Gray-sama is really warm," she whispered quietly, her eyes still closed as she held his wrist with her other hand. Her head turning to nuzzle into his calloused palm. "Juvia likes Gray-sama's warmth."_

"_You're silly," Gray chuckled. "Y'know that's just normal body heat, Juvia."_

"_No," she pouted, opening one eye to look at him. "Gray-sama made the room cold, and Gray-sama is so used to the cold while Juvia is not so he's making himself warm on purpose for Juvia. Gray-sama's warmth is to protect Juvia and make her feel safe..."_

_The smirk turned into a cocky half-grin. She knew him too well and how his power and body works, like he did in return to her. "You think so, huh?"_

"_Juvia knows very well. Everyone tells Juvia that she is smarter than Gray-sama sometimes," she added to him and it was his turn to pout at her._

"_Well..!"_

_Juvia stopped him in rejecting it with a kiss to his mouth, kissing him slowly for him to make his blood boil and cheeks deepen in the cheeks. He returned it gladly and carefully rolled himself over her to press her back to the mattress, not caring how his hands slipped under the thick quilt and attempt to touch every inch of her soft skin that made her giggle against the kiss. He knew she was ticklish, so he barely stroked up the curve of her waist with just the tips of her fingers to hear that cute noise again._

"_I love you, Gray-sama," she said sweetly when he finally pulled away for them to breathe, her eyes sparkling and that shy blush began creeping on her cheekbones to match her slightly swollen lips._

"_I lo -!"_

Gray woke up in his seat with a bad headache and boiling skin of rage. Sitting up from the bench, he had come to realized that he had lashed out with his ice magic inside the compact room; his stained hand have reacted to something in his sleep and now there were ice shards piercing through furniture and the walls, being able to see his breath every time he exhaled in little clouds.

Frowning, Gray sensed a frightened guard cowering by the sliding door with the same amount of ice nearly injuring him with the punctures beside his head and one by his stomach. Tilting his head, Gray's rusty eyes narrowed dangerously as his lip turned to a dark sneer.

"The _hell_ do you think you're doing," Gray growled darkly, "in trying to wake me up, after of all the times I tell all of you idiots to _stay out_!"

The guard shook in fright at Gray's murderous voice, clenching his chest tightly before looking down to the ground, avoiding eye contact. "I-I was told to inform you...I was t-told to…"

"What?" Gray snapped with venom. "Inform me of _what_?"

"We have arrived, sir. S-Sol told me to tell you that we have arrived and have found coordinates on Lockser's whereabout."

Gray stood up with a straight spine, glaring down to the poor Mage follower. "You don't say…"

Gray took a few steps towards the door, coming closer to the Mage who flinched at the sound of Gray's boots hitting the ground. Grasping the frozen door with his black-stained hand, Gray didn't need much strength to overtake his element and rip the ice apart from the doorframe, making it slam open and make the guard gasp in surprise.

Cracking his fist closed to come back down to his side, Gray gave the poor Mage one last merciless stare with his red eyes. "Tell them to wait for my signal. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes, Master Gray!"

Gray stepped through the door and left the room alone to the scared Mage. "Remember next time on knocking before you enter, or it may be the last."

=xxx=

Juvia Lockser squealed at the splash of water hitting her dry form, making her giggle pathetically as she glared darkly at Natsu, who was submerged from the nose down in the pool they were currently occupying with everyone else. It was a stare down of battle now, as Juvia brought back her hands and slapped the surface of the water at him without using any of her magic in public, frowning when the fire Mage dunked under the water and retreated from the fight.

"Natsu-san!" Juvia whined, wiping the pool water dribbling on her chest with a pout. "Juvia is gonna get you for that!"

Cana laughed at the edge of the pool, where Makarov was laying in a lawn chair beside Erza, who was sunbathing with a magazine used as a fan. The elderly man was sipping from a pineapple-shaped jug with a pink umbrella with a giddy look on his face as he people-watched from his spot. Cana was close to the people on dryland as she had her legs over the edge and in the water by Juvia, while Lucy was calling to Jellal from her spot inside the pool for a drink from the bar and Gajeel was brooding at the deep end of the pool, ignoring everyone while other tourists waded around or swam with their children or companions.

"What a dork, just because he knows he would lose," Cana snickered rudely as Juvia bounced her way over to the edge. The card Mage reached out to cup Juvia's soft cheeks with both hands and fondle the flesh like a mother. "My little feisty water babe! This is why women rule the world, you know!"

Juvia blushed as she crossed her arms over her bikini chest when Cana's eyes stared at her breasts. It was becoming a habit for Cana to make up the lost time to groping the twenty-six year old's rear or chest, saying she was tired of Lucy's for the time being. Leaning away in time from Cana's greedy hands, Juvia was able to see Natsu pick up Lucy under the water.

"German suplex!" Natsu roared with joy with fire in his eyes as his arms wrapped tightly around his wife's waist.

"_NATSU!_" Lucy screamed before splashing into the water backwards with her husband under her, both lost in the bubbling splash and water, Gajeel finally popping up from his spot to laugh and point at the couple while other random people watched in confusion.

Seeing the blonde woman bolt up from the water to smack her husband repeatedly, all while Natsu looked like an absolute dork with his eyes covered by his hair and a toothy grin on his face, Juvia couldn't help but smile warmly at the familiar glow of fun and happiness she used to share with her family.

"Here you go, Cana," Jellal held out a bottle of beer, catching Juvia's attention to see the brunette clapping for joy while Erza rolled her eyes with amusement when Jellal sat on the foot of the lawn chair.

Juvia grinned a bit when Cana cuddled her beer to her cheek before taking sips, taking a small jump to join Cana on the ledge as Lucy made her way over with a sour look on her face and her hands reaching outward to the towel behind them.

"Stupid husband, tryin' to flip me like that," she growled when Juvia grabbed the fluffy towel and made room for Lucy to climb out of the pool. The sound of Natsu calling for her was in the distance, now beside Gajeel in the deep end of the pool. Lucy narrowed her eyes at the grinning man before looking to the blue haired Mage. "Juvia, if it's not too much to ask…"

With her legs still in the water, Juvia simply rolled her feet in the chlorinated water before touching her heels together, sending a sudden grip to Natsu's feet to yank him down unexpectedly. The three women watched as Natsu flailed in the pool and cried out to grip the diving board above him, hanging his body out of the water and dangling like a monkey and burst into a fit of laughter.

"Oi, no fair!" Natsu whined loudly across the pool and Gajeel snickered for a second before the same was done to him, and the iron Mage popped back up and sent daggering glares to the trio.

"Hey! Watch where ya grabbin'!" the snapped the Juvia who shrugged her shoulders and smiled at him in return.

"Juvia, dear," Erza's voice caught Cana, Lucy and the said woman's attention to turn around to see the redhead raising a brow to them, but a tiny smile on her lips. Juvia pouted to her and the older woman sighed and pushed her sunglasses back up her nose. "Don't get too confident in public, okay? This is still a resort."

"Yeah, but Natsu had it coming," Happy snickered inside the beach bag beside Makarov, digging into the bag of chips that was purchased for him earlier.

"Since Juvia is an excellent water Mage, I wouldn't be surprised if security couldn't pick anything up from the cameras or in person," Makarov added as he carefully stirred the straw in his drink. Glancing to Juvia, Makarov offered a cat-like grin to the blushing Mage as she accepted the compliment. "I would have to ask you to help me get back at this group of teenagers from last week, my dear. Those little shits took my bag and hung it from one of the aquatic playgrounds where I couldn't reach! You know me, I couldn't use my own powers to get it back, and you wouldn't believe how many people laughed at me."

"Do not take advantage of Juvia for your own benefit, Master," Erza scolded, not moving a muscle while Jellal rolled beside her to share the chair, making the old man frown. "Even if she could get away with it, and I'm sure she would, it would be unfair and still illegal."

"I'm a retired man of the government, I do what I want," Makarov pouted before popping the straw back into his mouth and slurping the drink in a little sulk.

Juvia simply grinned before turning back to face the large pool, where she noticed Silver approaching in his khaki shorts and a zip-up sweater. Tilting her head, she noticed that her fatherly-figure had a piece of paper in his hand as he made his way around the pool, excusing himself pass a few other tourists before making it towards the small group.

"Father-sama," Juvia chirped with a smile to him. "Will you swim with us today, please? Natsu-san wants to play Marco-Polo with us, and we need more people."

Silver blinked before offering a weak half-grin. "Sorry angelface, but not today…" Kneeling down to the sitting Master, Silver held out the piece of paper and whispered in a low voice to Makarov. Juvia couldn't hear very well, so she curled herself to stand up and make her way over to the lawnchairs, her fingers fiddling in curiosity. Whatever Silver was talking about, it made Makarov stop drinking from his funny cup and listen with a serious look in his eyes.

Going over to Erza and Jellal's spot, she knelt down to her beach bag and lift up the blue and white towel to reveal Happy lounging comfortably in his spot. Large eyes looking up to the water Mage, Happy's ear twitched in curiosity.

"Wanna join in the pool, Happy? Juvia needs to apply more sunscreen," she said sweetly to the Exceed.

Happy perked at the idea and tumbled out of the bag. Scurrying to grab the zebra floatie, the blue hat made his way to Cana and Lucy, who have now noticed Silver and Makarov conversing with each other in quiet voices; Natsu and Gajeel are still bickering back and forth on who can come closer to the girls, since they had Juvia on their side and at an advantage. Since Exceed felines aren't like normal cats, water is nowhere of a problem to them since they were also somewhat like Humans and Mages.

Pulling out the bottle of sunscreen, Juvia did her best to listen in on Silver's voice and Makarov's murmuring. Pretending to lean forward to apply the lotion to her legs, the blue haired woman made the best attempt to make out words.

"Mato's masquerade…"

"Toma is sending us one..?"

"He wishes to see if _she _is alright…"

"What about -?"

A familiar, slender yet strong hand curled around Juvia's shoulder and gently pulled her back. Blinking, Juvia peeked up to see Erza looking her way with a firm line on her lips, making her realize that she was caught from hearing more with the conversation that was happening just six feet away from her.

Clearing her throat, Erza caught Silver and Makarov's attention and making Juvia's cheeks go red in embarrassment. "What's this I hear about Toma-sama? It certainly has been a long time since I've heard that name, Master," Erza smiled warmly to the two older men, which they responded glancing to the flustered Juvia and back up.

"Juvia, Erza, you know better than to listen in on old men's conversations!" Makarov huffed and sat his drink on his lap. "So childish and immature of my kids, I must say."

"When times are tough, women's hearing will look into anything to insure that everything is okay around her and her family," Erza smirked darkly, fixing Juvia's hair before sitting up to take the bottle from her and apply to her back. By now, Cana and Lucy went back into the pool and help Happy go over towards Natsu and Gajeel better, most likely to inform them on what was happening.

Makarov sighed and looked to Silver, who was grinning the proudest smile to Juvia. "What's that face for, you idiotic popsicle?" the elderly Mage snapped to the gushing man.

"Daughter-chan is so smart and smooth!" he snickered with joy and Erza swore she saw stars and hearts sprouting from his head. "I had no idea she was even listening in on us, Makarov. Isn't she just the best daughter ever?"

Makarov frowned before smacking Silver upside the head to bring him back to reality. Looking to Erza, Juvia and Jellal (who was always the more silent observer of the situation), Makarov snatched the piece of paper from Silver's grip and examined it. "You kids remember of Toma, yes?"

"The government's only Mage councilman, yes," Juvia answered quietly. Since this was a public place, it may be somewhat of a bad area to talk openly about, well, anything. "He is the one who organizes Guilds and is a close friend of yours."

"That he is, Juvia," Makarov nodded. Holding out the paper, the three pairs of eyes were able to see a classy decorated card with confetti and stars on the colored paper, with fancy handwriting sketched across. "Every year, he holds a party - a masquerade to be exact. Do you remember when you kids were little and I would be gone for a week to go to a convention that kids weren't allowed to go? Toma arranges a yearly get-together for the official Guilds to come and converse, like a reunion or something."

Juvia took the invitation and examined the brightly colored card with interest. Reading the invitation carefully, the Mage frowned and passed it on up to Erza, who plucked it with a pinch of her fingers. "Juvia does not understand why Master Makarov and Father-sama are being so secretive about it. We are aware of Toma and his parties."

"Yes, but he added some additional details to the invite," Silver scratched his stubbled chin and narrowed his eyes to the card being passed around. Natsu, Lucy, Gajeel and Cana (who was carrying a squirming Happy) snuck on the other side of Erza and Jellal's bench to steal a peek. "Apparently he wants more than just Makarov and myself to come. Most of the usual guests weren't listed this time…"

"It has Juvia's name on it, doesn't it?" Lucy frowned with a worrisome expression. The said Mage looked over her shoulder with furrowed brows and looking back to see Silver nodding, which made her shoulders tense.

"You guys were included, too, in a certain way," Makarov shrugged. "Apparently the messenger told Silver that he wishes Juvia to attend, along with those she considers her family."

"So Toma is aware of Juvia's problem…" the blue haired Mage sighed. "Or, whatever Juvia is being convicted of."

"You're not convicted of anything," Natsu blurted out, plopping on the pavement next to Juvia with Lucy in his arms. Apparently he was being clingy at the moment while his wife was stripped of her skirt, revealing more of her legs to the public. "Toma's the one you spoke to about changing all of our names and disbanding the Guild without any evidence, right? Did he know about you being in E.N.D.?"

"No," she responded flatly, making Natsu blink and Lucy roll her eyes.

"Then how'd ya get in?" Natsu gurgled before Lucy pinched his cheek. Lucy told him to quiet down and added in Juvia's ability to manipulate the Human mind, making him breathe a long 'ohh!'.

"Juvia basically helped herself to be employed, but she never told Toma about it," Juvia pointed out to the group, who listened intently when the card was eventually returned to Makarov. "From what Juvia has done, it is _very_ illegal for a Mage to work at E.N.D., or their main building where all the files of every Mage and Guild history in existence were stored. Juvia attended many cases and government secrets that could be used against many people, which is why E.N.D. has so many Mage enemies…"

"But how were you able to get by without being discovered by someone in E.N.D.?" Jellal asked quietly.

"Juvia was able to change the spelling of her last name on any Mage file that was ever recorded of her or within Fairy Tail, when she was hired two years ago," she shrugged. "Juvia's last name is L-O-C-K-S-E-R, but she changed any record of her as a Mage or with Fairy Tail to L-O-X-A-R. Besides, there are not many recorded water-related Mages… Juvia's parents used Loxar when they were doing jobs, from what she remembers. There was never a point for anyone to look up Juvia's name or water Mage cases, since there are none besides myself."

"Really? Not even anyone from your family?" Gajeel raised a studded brow, seeing Juvia shake her head. "Ya serious?"

"Juvia looked back on her family tree as far as she possibly could, and there are no known other water Mages," she said. "Juvia knows that her father was a water Mage, and Juvia's mother came from a line of Mages, but Juvia does not know of grandparents, ancestors or distant relatives. Mom and Dad were very thorough on keeping their Mage identities hidden."

Looking up to Makarov, Erza tilt her head. "Makarov, do you know anything?"

"I know as much as Juvia does, dear," the elderly man sighed. "Juvia asked me a long time ago if I knew anything about her folks, but nothing more than their political lives and Juvia."

"So...Juvia is somewhat considered an undercover Mage to the government," Cana deadpanned sourly, finally letting go of the Exceed as he scrambled to Natsu's head, gripping his scarf-wrapped head. "Worse thing that could happen at the masquerade is Juvia getting arrested by Toma, or we're in big shit for the mess Gray caused."

"Not likely," Silver shook his head. "If she were to be arrested, Toma would have made a search warrant for Makarov or anyone else. However, I am not too sure why Toma would want Juvia and the rest of you to come together…"

"Even so," Erza drawled, "we're not letting anyone take Juvia away. Legal warrant or not, Juvia has done nothing wrong that would endanger anyone besides Gray's act of violence." Erza's hand came to rest atop of Juvia's damp hair, making the blue haired woman blink slowly, yet didn't look up to her family. "No one is going to take her away while Gray is after her. It would just make her an easy target if she was imprisoned; I certainly wouldn't let a government councilman try to take Juvia under arrest, since we're going to figure out what the hell is going on."

Shutting her eyes, Juvia waited for Makarov or Silver to scold or reject the idea of stopping someone from taking her under the rule of law. As a Guild, they were the good guys in the world, obeying the government's wishes to stop any crimes and dangerous Mages behind bars…

Keeping Juvia, innocent or not, away from Toma or from justice, is probably against the whole point of forming a Guild.

But, then again, this isn't just another Guild. This is a family that would secure the safety of their members and protect them no matter what.

Looking to Makarov with her blue eyes, Juvia flashed a bright grin and plopped her own hand on top of Erza's on her head. "Juvia's not going anywhere, Master Makarov. Not until Fairy Tail figures out the problem and get everything back the way it should be."

The old man in return smiled under his mustache and nodded approvingly. "That is probably the best thing to do, no? Well then, are all of you willing to attend the party with me? It'd be nice to bring more guests and some attractive ladies this time… I would like to see the look on Toma's face when I come waltzing in with all you girls!"

"Hey, Luce is gonna be my date, you old fart!" Natsu snapped, gripping Lucy closer to him and making the blonde peep in shock. Bending his knees upward to cage his wife still on his lap. Lucy groaned in annoyance when Natsu had flames in the back of his throat. "Get your own posse of chicks!"

"Sorry Master, but Jellal is going to be my escort for the evening," Erza chuckled before batting her lashes to her own husband, who went beat red and looked away like a embarrassed teenage boy.

Makarov looked between Cana and Juvia, who didn't spare a second of shaking their heads, making the elderly man whimper sadly and look down to his drink. "S'ppose it's gonna be me and you again, Silver…"

"Nah-ah," Silver snorted before flashing a grin. "It'll be the first party ever that I would attend with Daughter-chan. Juvia! Lets have father-daughter dances and allow me to show you off to the other Guilds."

Juvia went red in the face before covering with both of her hands, whining shyly in her spot. "F-Father-sama, Juvia doesn't want to be put on the spotlight..!"

"Bah, it'll be like at the ball with the news crew. You looked like a natural celebrity on TV, angelface!" Silver protested with a pout. The older man clasped his hands together, begging towards the water Mage. "Please, my dear, the other men will be so jealous seeing you all dolled up and beautiful! You'll be wearin' a mask the whole time too!"

"So, if she's not gonna be Silver's date, can she be mine?" Cana perked with interest, leaning over the chair and squish Juvia's shoulders teasingly. "Just think of it, Juvia. You and I, all dressed fancy and wearing a pushup and our boobies smushed together as we're dancing and -!"

"Cana!" Gajeel snapped, realizing that Makarov and Silver's nose were bleeding and Natsu with expressing a completely confused face; Jellal looked very disappointed in Cana's description and Juvia practically had tears in her eyes while Lucy was trying to calm her down. "Quit it or Juvia's gonna turn into a puddle again, thanks to you!"

"Ohh, my poor baby!" Cana whined and reached out to her, wanting to hug Juvia and give her kisses. Erza, however, raised her long leg to shield Cana from the distance, leaving the brunette to half lean on the redhead's strong limb and pout.

"Anyway," Makarov cleared his throat, using his towel to dab away the excited sweat off his bald spot. "The party is happening tomorrow evening, at the Crocus resort. It's under tight security of Toma's Guild and no one is allowed to pass through the first gate without showing proof of your tattoo; Toma's Guild knows of every Guild, every independent Mage by heart. It's probably even more difficult to break in with the ball and E.N.D. building combined, now that I think of it."

"So we shouldn't have any surprises then, right? Gray won't be able to break in like he did with the E.N.D. ball, will he?" Happy asked, seeing Makarov nod.

"Not with Mages as security, Mages for caterers and staff...Toma only hires his own Guild for this event," Makarov said somewhat proudly. "Gray or whoever is after our dear Juvia-chan won't be able to lay a finger on her. What do you kids think?"

Juvia felt her heart flutter with excitement and nerves. Looking around to her family silently conversing with each other and to themselves before looking back to her, Juvia smiled at the approving nods from her siblings, giving a thumbs up to Makarov and Silver.

Silver gave Juvia a toothy grin while Makarov nodded. "Alright. Silver and I will meet you in the lobby of the hotel you're staying at."

.

.

.

=xxx=

AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE - -intense whale noises of distress-


	12. Chapter 12

Don't forget to Review, Follow, Favorite or do nothing in particular! I'm sorry for the late update!

=xxx=

.

.

.

Sleeping Beauty

_The first time Juvia killed someone, it was in the manner of protecting her comrades from an illegal Mage._

_The team she was with, Fairy Tail B, had split during a dangerous job in rounding up a small collection of dangerous Mages that were murdering innocent citizens of a small town. During the time of catching four of the five members of the group of criminals, Laxus and Gajeel had taken critical hits to their abdomen and head, granting Mirajane and Jellal to go call for Fairy Tail A (which was the other team the town over taking care of injured and homeless who were victims of the attacks were taking refuge) while Juvia stayed back and watched over her two team mates. Juvia was the youngest in her team at the time, and was being trained in by her elder "siblings"._

_It happened rather quickly, and Juvia couldn't remember what really went down between her and the last murderer attempting to take them out. Juvia vividly remembers being hit a few times, but the thing that she remembered clear as day was when she shoved both of her hands through the man's chest in liquid form._

_She remembers feeling threatened and angry, as if her life and those she cared about were going to be taken away from her if she didn't do something drastic in return. Her body boiled, her hands turning into her element as she charged screaming to the man as fast as she could._

_Then, Juvia's sight went crystal clear. _

_She remembers how hot the inside of the man's chest was, and how his heart gave its last beats in her hand when she grabbed it and pulled it out. The feeling of his flesh bleeding and how his heart's dying pulse finished in her palm. Juvia remembers how the man stared at her in horror before dying and bleeding at her feet._

_Her hands stained with red and how she was found staring blankly at nothing when backup arrived to their aid._

_Since the criminals were sentenced to be terminated once they were arrested, Juvia was not charged for killing, but it didn't help her that the fact remained that she killed someone so easily…_

_When Juvia thought about it, it was easy for her to kill anyone if she wanted to. It was as easy as breathing for her when she did it, she didn't have to think about it. She was fifteen when she first killed someone. She was fifteen and she would dream of killing the Mage over and over again, laughing at how weak he was in trying to overpower her._

_And that scared her._

_Granted, it wasn't the first person in Makarov's care that they took a life, nor was Juvia the youngest. Of course, she wasn't the only one to experience post trauma of taking a life, but Juvia felt different from the others after she experienced it. She couldn't put her finger on it or explain why it was different from her companions, even though her friends told her stories of how they coped with their ordeal with nightmares, but none of them mentioned laughing and feeling strong. No one ever mentioned anything similar to what Juvia was experiencing; like how she felt like she could do it again to another bad guy, or how thought of how those people who killed her parents would react when she showed up at their doorstep with a dark goal..._

"_Juvia."_

_She ignored Gray's call to her as she sat on the floor of her bedroom, staring at her bookcase with her arms wrapped around her doll she had gotten from her boyfriend on her birthday years ago. Sensing him enter the room and approach her, she didn't bother to greet him when he sat down behind her and pulled her between his legs and held her in his arms. Juvia blinked when she felt Gray gently nuzzle his cheek against her shoulder after placing a small kiss there._

"_You hungry?" he asked her. When she shook her head, he sighed and held her tighter. "C'mon, Juvia, everyone really wants to see you come outside. You'll feel better once you talk to someone, too. That's what the rest of us did."_

"_Juvia talked," she stated flatly. "Juvia still feels weird."_

"_It's gonna take time, but sitting in your room isn't going to help," Gray told her softly, resting his chin on her shoulder. "You know you can always talk to me, too, if you want."_

_When she didn't say anything, he slowly leaned back with Juvia in her arms and laid on the floor with her on top of him. Juvia didn't oppose to it, being quite used to him moving her around when she's tired and rather enjoyed it when Gray would stay close to her like that._

"_Remember when I told you the first time I killed, I was five? It was when my dad took me on vacation and an assassin was following him and tried to take me away," he spoke to her, his chest rumbling soothingly against her back. "I had nightmares for weeks and was a complete mess. I talked to everyone Makarov sent me to, but it was until I spent time with everyone here that I began feeling better._

"_Sometimes therapists and medicine can help in recovering, but spending time with people who love you and make you happy can do wonders," he finished, a hand coming up to play with a lock of her blue hair. "Just tell me what you want me to do, and I'll do whatever it takes to see you smile again."_

_Juvia never told any of the people Makarov hired to talk with her about how she truly felt taking a life. She never said how she would do it again if she felt threatened, angry beyond breaking point and would kill over and _over _and _**over**…

_Juvia would kill to protect those she loves._

_Juvia would kill to protect herself for her loved ones._

_Juvia would kill just because it made her feel safe when she couldn't be held by anyone she trust._

"_Never let Juvia go," she whispered quietly, her eyes closing sadly. Her cheek turning to rest against his shirt. "When Juvia feels like this...feeling weird, will Gray-sama please hold Juvia and not let go? It makes Juvia feel safe."_

_Juvia felt him smile against her head as he kissed her temple, his arms embracing her and securing her. "I promise I'll hold you whenever you need me. I won't leave you alone when you need me most."_

"Baaabe, lemme do your hair!" Cana cooed as she slithered up to the blue haired woman sitting infront of Lucy in a chair. Lucy dominated the whole couch in the living room space of their hotel room with her enormous collection of makeup and said she was going to do every girls' makeup for the evening at the ball.

Juvia was Lucy's first customer and was nearly finished when Cana's hands slid from behind and grasped her breasts, which were in a strapless bra for the dress Lucy picked out for her as well. The water Mage squeaked in surprise, making Lucy pull back the eyeshadow brush in time before she ruined the soft brown base on her eyelids.

"Cana-nee!" Lucy scolded as Cana plopped up and began her affectionate snuggle, only clad in a towel from her shower. "Don't disturb us when I'm trying to make her makeup perfect! I may just give you an ugly makeover when it's your turn."

"I can't help it that I wanna doll up this cutie," Cana slurred blowing a raspberry on Juvia's neck, making her yelp. "It's been forever since I got to do her hair!"

"Cana-nee, let me go!" Juvia whined as she leaned away from her sister-figure's kisses. "You can do Juvia's hair, but please don't ruin Lucy-chan's work!"

"I don't see why you're putting so much effort in makeup when we're all gonna be wearing masks," Natsu said from the kitchen, where he and Happy were digging in the fridge for an early snack in his dress shirt and good pants.

"Natsu, if you get one stain on those pants, you can forget about me doing your laundry for the rest of the year," Lucy warned him, ignoring her husband's comment. "And Happy, I won't be afraid to make you wear the cone for three months if you ruin that tie!"

"No!" both Natsu and Happy said in unison, both pale and slamming the fridge door shut quickly and scrambling away.

"So, when you finish with this babe right here," Cana hummed brightly, "I will do her hair. I picked out a mask that will go awesome with the dress she's wearing." Pressing a kiss to the top of Juvia's blue head, Cana snuggled her cheek as Lucy resumed her duty to finish the eye as Juvia held perfectly still. "You two babies are going to look so cute tonight. So glad Erza brought that pink dress you look so cute in, Lucy!"

"I've worn that dress before, Cana-nee," Lucy sighed as she picked up her blush palette next. "Remember my last book publishing party? I wore that to the party with Natsu."

"I love how _Lucy Ashley_ is such a secretive author, but still makes it to all of her accomplishment gatherings!" Cana snickered, making Juvia smile to the blonde who went red in the cheeks. "Still don't know how Natsu is able to behave at such rich-people gatherings, that noob in the hidden spotlight."

"That's _Mister_ _Noob_ _Ashley_ in the hidden spotlight to you, Queen Drunktard!" Natsu snorted as he walked by the couch and into the bedroom they were staying in.

"Juvia is so happy how Lucy-chan is so successful in her writing career," Juvia told her warmly. "At Juvia's work, many of her co-workers would talk about Lucy-chan's novels and share their favorite parts and gossip about you!"

Lucy's face was bright red as she tapped the edge of her brush on the edge of the canister. "Pucker your lips and hollow your cheeks, Juvia-chan," she ordered in a tight voice.

Juvia's dress was borrowed form Erza, who never really wore it and favored her old purple dress with the split and revealed her chest perfectly. It was white with a corset bodice with no straps for the shoulders, but there was delicate beading designs of flowers around the stiff corset to make up for the empty space; Juvia filled the top perfectly and her skin complimented the shade very well. The skirt went all the way down to the floor and flowed like water with every movement she made in it with her legs. It was thick to keep out any breeze, but gave her limbs enough space to not feel so itchy like her old wardrobe of tight skirts to hide her Guild tattoo. There was a silver, veil-like cover over the white silk of the skirt, giving off a illusion of glitter around her and sporting white heels that wrapped around her ankles like a ballerina.

Once Juvia slipped on the white lace arm sleeves that hooked on her middle fingers, she made her way over to Cana who was more than excited to do her hair for tonight's event.

Cana fixed Juvia's hair into a messy bun ontop of her head, letting her bangs hang messily in cute curls to frame her face like a princess. It only took Juvia to notice by the corner of her eye that her older sister-figure was sticking in the butterfly pin she got as a gift from her boss.

"Juvia's pin?" she asked with a blink, her voice pure curiosity.

"I hope you don't mind, babe," Cana said with a heartwarming smile as she fixed the pin to be centered evenly on Juvia's head, making it easy for her to see in the mirror. "I found it on the dresser and I think it compliments your outfit very much. You're wearing a lot of white and your hair is blue, so the gold is very good at evening it out."

Juvia's eyes softened, her lips in a firm line as she nodded and looked down at her reflection in the mirror. She felt Cana put her hands on her shoulders, only clad in her undergarments now, the brunette bent down and pressed a sisterly kiss to her carefully decorated cheek.

"It's okay, baby girl. The news said they're all going to be okay," she said honestly, fiddling with one of Juvia's loose curls. "I'm sure they're all grateful to have you work with them."

"Some of Juvia's co-workers are pretty against Mages in general. Pretty harsh during group discussions on cases," Juvia said quietly. "But, it doesn't matter now. They're safe, and that is all Juvia could ever want for them."

"Then it's all good," Cana nodded before standing up straight. "I'm done with your hair, babe. Can you help me lace up my back? This gold dress makes me look like a million bucks, but it's a bitch to get on alone."

Cana's dress was somewhat similar to Belle's from _Beauty and the Beast_, one of their favorite movies to watch as children and made Cana look like a real princess. It had a more complicated way of wrapping around her waist, requiring constant threading through the buttoned holes with the long ribbon until it can be tied into a bow at the top. Cana's hair was done in waves and little curled over her shoulder and Lucy did her makeup to make her purple eyes pop out beautifully.

As she said before, Lucy wore her pink gown with white fur trimming on the collar around her chest and her hair up in a bun with silky gloves. Her makeup was light and pretty, as always expected from Lucy in Juvia's opinion. Once she caught Natsu's eye from across the room, Juvia watched with amusement as he practically jumped from one side to the other, wrapping his arms around his wife and pressing kisses up and down her neck. Lucy freaked in response and pushed Natsu away when he whispered something into her ear, making her bright red in the face.

Juvia had to fix Gajeel's tie out of the knot he made in doing it himself. He was dressed a bit better than Natsu, who was wearing a simple suit and tie (it made sense since the Dragon Slayer didn't particularly enjoy dressing up like this). It was more of a masquerade-style coat with a frilled collar that had a matching tie to tuck in the front, and he donned leathered shoes that Juvia would never expect Gajeel to own.

Her friend made a snorting noise when she mentioned that to him. "Ya think Levy lets me attend our dinners and our wedding with my dirty work shoes?"

"But even your hair is pulled back? Gajeel-kun, Juvia wants to take a picture and send it to Levy-chan!" she said with an amused grin, making the taller man freeze and growl at her. "Come on, what if my little niece never gets to see you dressed so handsomely?"

"We don't know if it's a girl or not, goddammit!" Gajeel stomped his foot before everyone in the room laughed and Erza exited one of the bedrooms dressed in her favorite purple gown, her hands filled with different, colorful masks. Jellal came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, dressed in a somewhat similar coat as Gajeel's, but with more gold trimming and blue colors.

"Gajeel, don't cause a ruckus right now," Erza ordered as she handed the metal Mage a dark gray mask that would cover the top-half of his face once he put it on. It had a sharpened point on the nose area, reminding Juvia of a bird when Gajeel slipped it on.

Holding out a pearly white colombina mask with a similar stitching of lace in a fairly light blue threading to Juvia, Erza gave her a cheeky smile. "This one's for you, Juvia," she said as the blue haired woman nodded and took the mask, carefully putting it on without ruining Cana's work on her hair or smudge any of Lucy's makeup. "Natsu, Lucy! Come get yours!"

Juvia watched through the holes of her mask as she handed Natsu a simple black mask and Lucy a feathered one that matched the color of her dress. Cana received a dark gold mask that covered most of her face, including her cheeks and forehead and leaving the lips in view. Happy donned a matching black one with Natsu, while Erza had a dark violet mask with silver painting around the edges while Jellal had a sharp-nosed mask that hid his cheekbones and forehead.

Erza made sure to headcount everyone before clapping her gloves hands together with a curled smile on her lips. "Okay, we look to be ready!" Erza said with a nod of approval. "Master Makarov and Silver will be in the lobby waiting for us by now. Happy, you know where to go?" she looked to the Exceed who nodded and dove straight under Lucy's dress, making the woman yelp in shock. "Good!"

"Not good!" Lucy stammered with red cheeks, her hips moving side to side as she glared at her husband. "Why does it have to be me? Can't Happy hide in your coat?"

"I'd look like a hunchback, babe. You got enough room under that skirt for me, too, if you want!" Natsu smiled like the doofus he was until Lucy swiftly smacked him on the head, making him whine in pain.

=xxx=

Silver nearly burst into tears at the sight of Juvia when the small group made it to the lobby. Silver was dressed in an armor-like outfit with a silvering mask while Makarov was dressed with a white and yellow army coat with a stick mask that resembled a jester. Makarov rented a fancy vehicle to fit all of them inside (the driver was also a employee of Toma), making time for everyone to discuss among each other about getting ahold of the rest of the Guild. Makarov stated he was able to call Azlack and Bisca, Kinana, Laki and some of the older members of the home that served under Makarov's care and guidance; majority of the calls were successful in obtaining people to get on board for the cause of the threat that had been playing over and over again on TV by Gray Fullbuster, and more than enough were ready to jump in on a train and say they were going to meet them at Akane to regroup.

Makarov also briefly mentioned that Toma was aware of the calls and the meetup being set for the next few days, making Juvia frown in realization on how far apart Fairy Tail Mages have left and spread across the country. The news of Alzack and Bisca planning to try for a baby was overheard and Warren becoming a teacher for younger children in development was considered a great piece for him to communicate with shy children without being caught.

For Juvia, it made her miss being back at the home, but she was more than delighted to hear how everyone was doing outside of her tiny family circle.

Arriving to the arena where the masquerade was being held was a large banquet hall, far much larger than the castle ruins Juvia attended for the E.N.D. ball and had even more of a crowd and attendees lining up to the door and revealing their Guild tattoos to be checked off by security and allowed through.

Juvia was able to reach for Silver's arm as a date while Makarov had Cana stay by his side, though it didn't stop the brunette Mage from giving the older men dirty glares and mumbling how unfair it was because Juvia looked so cute. Natsu held his arm out like a true gentleman for his wife, while Happy flew out and perched himself ontop of his head; Jellal and Erza held hands and Gajeel steered clear from gazing, single women looking his way as he hid behind Juvia and Silver, telling them both not to let any strange woman near him until they get inside (something about how he refused to be with anyone else as a date who wasn't Levy).

Makarov led the team past the line, telling the guards who he was and was granted a pass with his party, going to the doorman and holding out his invitation to him.

When the suited doorman nodded to Makarov, he looked up to the rest of the party and waved a hand. "And all of them are part of your Guild, Master Makarov?" he asked casually, looking to each of the masked faces of Fairy Tail.

"Yes, their names should be on the list under my party, as accordingly."

"Two Fernandes, three Dragneel-Marvell, Alberona, Fullbuster, Redfox and Lockser..." The man counted them off and found them all as expected, nodding again in approval before stepping aside. "Go right on inside and enjoy yourselves. Toma will be looking for you shortly, I assume."

"Thank you very much," Makarov grinned as he waved everyone to follow after his lead, Cana by his side as she winked to the doorman through her mask. Juvia couldn't contain the small giggle when the poor man froze on the spot and red in the cheeks.

The whole interior of the building was dressed to the occasion. The color schemes of cool colors brought on a relaxing yet festive atmosphere with the whites, silver, blues and purples. The floor was glittering with people waltzing, tables dressed with blue tablecloth and silver platters filled with food and drinks; long, thick drapery swept from the chandelier to the pillars of the center and wrapped all the way from the third floor to the bottom.

Against the wall, where partygoers sipped their glasses and chatted amongst themselves was a fountain pool that reminded Juvia of a garden with its greenery and large leaves resting against it. It wasn't as grand or as beautiful to the one from the castle, since it was Juvia's favorite after all, but it was a nice piece to the classic music playing with the band playing on the other side, hidden by curtains of the drapes and playing soft music.

"Very lovely," Erza commented with a small smile, watching as a pair of dancers slipped past infront of them once they got to the wall of watchers together.

"As expected, Dad lets me handle all the decorating," a voice caught their attention, turning around to see a green haired woman dressed in white and decorated with gold pieces around her head and arms. Wearing a gold mask and a sweet smile on her face, she waved politely to the group. "It's been so long since I've seen any of you."

"Hisui!" Lucy grinned as she approached the woman for a welcoming hug. Juvia perked with excitement as she and Cana joined the two, chattering excitedly. "You look so beautiful! It's been too long. How are you, Hisui?"

"I'm well," Hisui answered kindly, looking at them carefully. "You all look perfect for the dance. I'm so glad I got to see you guys tonight - I was just about to go ask if you arrived yet, Dad has been waiting for you."

"Traffic happened," Erza pointed in with a smile, making Makarov groan at the memory of Natsu getting motion sickness and dropped himself ontop of him.

Hisui nodded in understanding. "I swear, Dad tries to invite every Mage he knows to his silly parties," she giggled, carefully grasping Lucy and Juvia's hands with each of her own. "Why don't you all come with me to a private room, and I'll get him for you? I know you guys have some things to discuss, no? He's busy talking to a family friend of ours, but I'm sure he'll make an exception."

The Mage council's daughter guided them up the marvelous staircase - also decorated with cool colored flowers and dark vines - to the top floor and brought them to a navy blue door decorated with gold. Opening it, Hisui let them all inside.

Spotting a table with fancy alcohol and a bucket of ice, Cana and Silver perked at the same time and scurried away from Juvia's side over to it. Juvia watched with amusement as her father-figure took the bucket of ice and began popping each cube into his mouth like it was candy, and Cana twisted the bottle open and began pouring drinks for everyone.

Hisui chuckled when Natsu sat on a chair by the center table that dominated in the room, grabbing Lucy by the hips and getting her to sit on his lap. "I'll go get him for you guys. Help yourself to whatever you need! There should be some snacks by the drink." She carefully closed the door, muffling the echoing music and leaving the team alone in the meeting room.

"Ah shit, there's chocolate!" Cana gasped in delight as she grabbed two champagne glasses for herself and Juvia joined her side. "You don't get this brand from anywhere, babe!" she snickered before chugging her glasses dry.

Juvia carefully picked up a small piece of chocolate and ate it delicately. She smiled at the richness and silky texture in her mouth as she reached for one of the filled glasses Cana has made for everyone to take. "It's really nice in here, too. Juvia doesn't think she's ever been in a party like this before. Even E.N.D. didn't hold parties like this - it's nearly like being at a party for royalty."

"I'm glad everyone is enjoying themselves," Makarov chuckled with a cat-like grin on his face when Silver snickered at the memories of their past attendance to these parties held by Toma. "I don't think I've ever been able to bring this many people to Toma's gatherings. Natsu, your dad was a real party animal back in the day."

"He still acts like it," Natsu snorted a laugh before resting his chin on Lucy's shoulder, who giggled and pressed a kiss to his head. "Oi, Juvia, can you grab me some of that chocolate, too?"

"Aye!" Happy gasped with need as he hopped to the table and stuck his paws in the air.

Juvia smiled and placed a good amount of chocolate on a napkin to bring over while she still had her drink in hand. Passing it to Lucy's waiting palm, the blue haired woman teased her pink haired "sibling" when Lucy fed him a piece and kissed his lips as Happy stuffed his face with both paws. Natsu gave Juvia the stink eye before feeding Lucy a piece and kissing her back.

"Oi, do they got any silverware?" Gajeel's voice caught Juvia's attention as she turned around and grasped him by the sleeve of his coat. "Or anything metal at all?"

"Oh, no you don't," Juvia scolded him before he could go digging around. "Don't eat anything, Gajeel-kun. They could be owned by Toma or someone else, and if they notice something missing you could get them in trouble."

"Good girl, Juvia," Erza praised proudly to the masked water Mage.

"Toma would definitely know it would be from me, if you do, Gajeel," Makarov warned the metal Dragon Slayer with narrowed eyes. "No chewing on anything."

"God damn," Gajeel groaned in annoyance as he plucked Juvia's glass away from her and swallowed the rest of the contents in one gulp. He took it with him as Juvia shook her head amusingly at his disappointment. "Killin' me here, you jerks."

Juvia giggled at him and turned towards the knock on the door, making room from the door as she went over to the table beside Lucy, Natsu and Happy. With the door opening, Hisui greeted everyone with a bright smile as she walked in and allowed her father to enter with the same exact mask as Makarov.

"Oi," both of the short, elderly men snapped at each other as they pointed accusingly at one another. Everyone remaining in the room laughed wholeheartedly at the situation as the two old friend butted heads for a moment.

"Dad, don't fuss about it. You remember you and Makarov both purchased the same mask when you went on a shopping spree last summer," Hisui chided softly, a smile still on her face as Erza agreed verbally and stared down at her boss.

"Honestly, Master, you do this all the time with your friends. No need to act like a child - that's Natsu's job," Erza reminded him, making the said Mage pout in his spot but not denying it.

"We'll discuss this over poker, you old man," Toma snorted bitterly at Makarov, fixing his dark blue coat before composing himself more professionally. "Besides that, I invited you here for the problem with the attacks that happened in Fiore City."

"Yes, you have," Makarov agreed, grinning as he raised a hand up towards the three Mages against the table, curling his fingers to beckon a specific one towards him. "Juvia, dear, come here please."

Juvia, still clad in her mask to conceal her face properly, approached to Makarov's side and looked to Toma. Bowing her head to the councilman while Hisui gave a nod of approval for her greeting. "It is nice to see you, Mister Toma. Thank you for inviting me here, I am Juvia -"

"Juvia Lockser, head profiler at E.N.D. for the past few years with great praise from cases and lawyers," Toma nodded with a raised brow, making Juvia instantly mute and looked to him with wide eyes. "Stated Human on medical records and on your file while employed, probably the best employee at the company, if I do say so myself after looking at all of your past work and cases you took on. Very impressive."

Juvia swallowed thickly when the man chuckled. "Although, I don't think I have ever had a Mage able to sneak through the medical examination and pass as a Human when that's not the case. If I remember correctly, something like that could result as a high criminal charge. Especially with a government-based operation such as E.N.D."

Juvia could feel how her "siblings" became silent and tense as Cana stopped drinking and Silver halt mid chew on a chunk of ice. She could practically feel her father-figure heated threat as he glared darkly at Toma from the other side of the room. Gajeel stood still, but Juvia knew he was tense as well.

Toma and Makarov, however, just smiled. "I suppose you got that from this idiot over here, huh?" Toma chuckled as he nudged his friend with his elbow. "Always sneaking into places he shouldn't be in, but that doesn't stop him."

"Mister Toma, you're not angered about this situation?" Juvia asked incredulously to the man.

"About the attack in Fiore city, I'm furious," Tome nodded. "But, about you working at E.N.D. behind the government's back, I'm more than glad that you did so. I prefer it to have Mages working alongside humans to bring peace in cases like those."

"So you're not going to arrest or charge Juvia?" Silver asked with narrowed eyes. Even though he has attended many parties with Toma and knows him fairly well, it never stopped him from being such a protective father for the water Mage.

"Psh, do I look like a government man who would just arrest people as I please?" Toma rolled his eyes as Hisui sighed at her father's remark. "No! Do you know how many years I've spent trying to convince everyone else to be on board with adding more Mages into the protection board? Over twenty years and still counting! I'm just grateful that it was one of Makarov's kids and not some snot-nose badass reeking havoc in Fiore City, like that little shit!"

"Oi, Toma," Makarov barked lowly. "That's also one of my kids."

"What?" Toma shrieked in shock, his face paling as Silver crossed his arms beside Juvia. "You never told me this on the phone!"

"It's my own kid, infact," Silver added in with a shrug, probably causing the older man to keel over as he used Makarov's shoulder for balance.

"Why was this not spoken when I asked you fools!" Toma demanded between Silver and Makarov. Juvia tilt her head in disappointment at how the older men didn't seem fazed by his reaction as everyone else was trying to make sure he was okay.

"Because we consider it a family matter, if you will calm down for one minute," Makarov slapped his hand away with a gruff sigh. Jerking his chin to the blue haired masked woman, Makarov held Toma up to pay attention. "It appears one of my supposedly deceased kids came back and is after Juvia here, and we want to find out why. He threatened the whole Guild and we're not taking it too lightly with his behavior in public either."

"That's what the message on TV was about?" Toma asked as he looked to Juvia, who looked down to the floor and nodded slowly.

"Juvia was able to hack into E.N.D.'s computer system and go over the firewall of the government to change everyone in Fairy Tail's system to become unable to be found, no matter how hard someone was to look," Jellal said as he came around and sat on a lounging chair as Erza stood by his side. "Whatever name anyone attempts to look up in search for Mages, we're not there. However the government wouldn't be able to know about this because Juvia left the government's access untouched, in case someone were to break into smaller operation's systems."

Toma looked impress as he glanced to Juvia. "How long did that take you, dear Juvia?" He didn't sound angry, but rather curious and Juvia couldn't help but peep in surprise at being put in the spotlight so suddenly.

"It t-took...at least a y-year to completely change everyone's file and erase any history," Juvia confessed quietly.

"That's quite skilled. It would have taken at least a decade to fulfill something like that, from what I know, and to even not to get caught? That's even more grand to know," Toma tilt his head to the side. "And you have never been under suspicion from your co-workers or security?"

"Juvia has an ability to get herself out of trouble when the situation arises," she mentioned briefly.

"Mind control?" Toma blinked.

"Juvia here is a water Mage," Makarov chuckled at Toma's confusion. "She has studied anatomy for a bit and discovered how much water works inside people's bodies and mind. She is capable of manipulating the brain, but it uses a lot of her energy."

"Juvia won't do it often, unless she deems it as an emergency," Juvia said. "However, while Juvia was tampering with the systems, she didn't need to use it since she has permission to go anywhere she pleased; the security took it as Juvia working or her co-workers doing an errand for the boss."

"And you're a water Mage?" Toma repeated and saw how everyone in the room nodded to confirm it, making him frown a bit. "That's fairly interesting. Water Mages are very rare, and you came from the Lockser family no? They were both from water Mage lines, but it was only your father who had the ability. They were kind people, I see them a lot in you despite the mask now that I think of it."

"Thank you, sir," Juvia bowed her head again.

"Even so, with the Lockser keeping their identity a secret while in the political light until the incident, I was not entirely aware that their daughter survived and moved on to live Makarov here," Toma sighed. "Well, this certainly didn't turn out the way I was expecting coming in."

"We deeply apologize for this," Lucy said. "If anything, we weren't expecting any of this to happen…"

"No, it's completely alright," Toma waved his hand. "I know Makarov trained you all right, and I have full faith in my friend. I'm just glad that no information of the disbanded Guild has been told to the media. I'm doing everything in my power right now to keep you safe from the media, but there is only so much I can do until the rest of my partners notice what I'm doing."

"We would like to ask for permission to rebuild the Guild in order to stop the disaster that's rising in Fiore City," Makarov said casually to his friend. "Gray is obviously taking in control of the Mages causing damage and deaths, and we want to be the ones to bring him in and save as many as we can. It's the way of our Guild, after all, and we want to protect our family and all the innocent people caught in the middle."

"I'm always impressed by the dedication you and your Guild has done for the best of the world, and even now you're still determined to take care of whatever mess you seem important. It was always admirable of Fairy Tail," Toma grinned. "You have my permission to bring back the Guild for this situation, and I trust that you will remain strong until the job is finished."

"Of course," Natsu snickered, making both elderly men snap their heads his way. Once he felt the hard stare along with his wife looking at him with a raised brow, he cleared his throat. "We won't break anything this time. Hopefully. I promise!"

"It's been a while, and I'm sure Natsu has grown mature enough to not break buildings like he used to," Cana piped in with a shrug as she took the bottle in her hands, grinning teasingly to her pink haired companion. "We'll take good care of this, Toma. Ya got nothing to worry about - we're Fairy Tail, after all!"

Sudden pounding on the door broke off the conversation, all heads turning towards the large doors Hisui was standing by patiently. Taking a moment to see if it would go away, Toma sighed in frustration and shook his head.

"I told the idiot to wait until I was finished, damn it," the old man growled before running a hand through his hair. "Can't be patient for nothing, right, Hisui?"

"He tends to do that quite often nowadays," Hisui nodded before turning to the door. "Shall I let him in, Dad?"

"Might as well, or he'll break down the damn door," her father waved a hand, allowing her to nod and reach to open the door partially, allowing a masked man dressed in light blue with silver designs and a red sash across his torso stumble inside. His mask concealed his upper face with white, causing his bangs to slick back and spike.

"Boy, how many times does it take for you understand that you can't go banging on doors like that. It's very rude!" Toma scolded when the masked man caught breath, his hands on his hips as he tapped his foot impatiently. "Do it again, and I will not hesitate to kick your ass."

The man ignored Toma, suddenly looking at Juvia still and just staring at her. Juvia frowned at the man, not understanding why a stranger was looking her way. It didn't take long for him to take a few steps towards her, grab her by the wrist and pull her into a tight hug, making her stiffen at the action and hear Silver shout 'Hey!' at the man.

"Thank God you're okay," he whispered to her, making her blink in confusion as she felt him hug her tighter. "I was so worried, Juvia."

"Eh?" she blinked, her eyes widening under the mask as she recognized the voice. Her own hands shakingly coming up to rest against his suited back, memories flooding into her thoughts as she recalled this particular kind of embrace.

The time when she got the call from Gajeel and Levy saying that they were expecting, she was at work and helping put away a stack of files before she burst into tears of joy. It was one of those rare times when she cried outside her office or anywhere from home, but she couldn't help but become overwhelmed with the feeling of happiness for her family members growing.

When her boss came in to find her crying, he freaked out upon seeing her tears and asked what was wrong. She was too happy to speak, her tears falling down her face as she shook her head to him and sobbed like a pathetic baby for Gajeel and Levy having their first baby together.

Lyon hugged her then, somewhat lost on trying to figure out what was wrong and figured that holding her would calm her down. He was nervous, she remembered in the hug, holding her so tight to try and make her feel better as best as he could. It made her laugh when she stopped and told him she was just so happy that she couldn't help herself.

There was him laughing too, and they hugged again in celebration.

"L-Lyon?" Juvia whispered shyly to the masked man holding her so close to him that she could feel every breath he took and heartbeat he made, like he ran all the way from somewhere far to reach the top floor and pound on the door.

"I was so worried, Juvia," he said again, a bit louder. "You had me so worried."

She blinked, pulling back enough so she could reach the mask on his face to push it back to really see that it was Lyon Vastia. His eyes were wet, but not shedding tears as he grinned brightly to her.

Her eyes widened. "Lyon!"

.

.

.

=xxx=

AUTHOR'S ENDING NOT - Woot woot woot woot!


	13. Chapter 13

I have this hardcore headcannon that Silver is just freakin' tall?

=xxx=

.

.

.

Sleeping Beauty

Just when she was going to properly hug Lyon like her life depended on it, her eyes filling with joyful tears as she was about to hide in his embrace, it was suddenly pulled away from her and left her reaching for open air.

Blinking her eyes open, Juvia looked to her side to see that Silver had taken Lyon and lifted him off the ground with just one hand. With her boss a few good inches lifted off the floor, Silver stared darkly through his mask at Lyon's revealed face, venom practically dripping from his lips.

"Who gave you permission to tackle Juvia-chan like that, eh?" Silver growled darkly, and Juvia could make out the slight sharpening in his teeth. She remembered it vividly from when her father-figure used half of his Devil Slayer form, that his teeth also sharpened similar to Natsu's natural canines (it was normal for Dragons to have sharpened teeth even when they were not activated). Juvia knew that he sought her boss as a threat for the unexpected hug.

"Father-sama, don't hurt him," Juvia said coolly as she tugged on his sleeve, making Silver blink down to her. "This is Lyon Vastia, Juvia's boss from E.N.D.!"

Blinking a few more times before looking back to Lyon's startled and confused face, Silver dropped the man to his feet and cleared his throat casually, scratching at his trimmed beard line. "E-excuse me," he said as he brought his other arm around Juvia's shoulder and pulled her a bit closer to his side. "It's a father's habit to be protective of his daughter-chan…"

Toma scoffed. "Really, Lyon doesn't understand the first thing when it comes to over-protective fathers. I would've liked to see you show him a thing or two, Silver."

Lyon properly removed his mask from his head, looking back to Juvia with wide eyes. "I was told to wait, but when I figured that you would have been in the room I rushed over to see for myself," he explained in a single breath, making Juvia slowly respond by lifting her white mask to the crown of her head, not ruining her makeup or hair. He grinned in relief, taking a step closer and opening his arms for her. "God, Juvia, you have no idea how worried and sick I've been since I was dragged away."

"What are you doing here, Lyon?" Juvia exhaled before launching herself into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck as he wrapped his own around her waist tightly. "Juvia saw you get taken away from the fight back at the ball!"

"I had to escape the hospital when I had the chance," Lyon sighed, making Natsu choke on his piece of chocolate and startling his wife when he lurched forward to stare at the man. The two dropped their hug to look at Natsu's shocked face.

"Wait, Juvia," the pink haired man coughed wetly, "this man is your _boss_ from E.N.D.?"

"Yes, this is Lyon Vastia," Juvia introduced as the rest of her family paid more attention to the new arrival to the room while Hisui closed the door once more. Putting a hand to Lyon's coated chest, Juvia's brows furrowed when Natsu leaned forward and sniffed at the two, making the white haired man lean back.

"Dude's a Mage," he stated flatly, his eyes narrowing to slits. "He smells kinda like Silver. You an ice Mage?"

Juvia's eyes widened before looking at Lyon, taking a step away from him. The man didn't seem to like Juvia's sudden distance, but he nodded in confirmation. "You were the Mage with the ice breaking out of the hospital?" Juvia asked quietly. "B-but…"

"Honestly, I was pretty surprised when I saw your Guild tattoo," Lyon said as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I suppose I was in shock for a while, but I would have never thought you, of all people, would be a Mage as well."

"That doesn't make sense!" Juvia half-shouted, making Lyon tilt his head. Stepping back to Silver's side, she gestured between herself and her boss. "E.N.D. is a non-Mage organization! How was Lyon able to even run the company when he's a Mage himself?"

"I suppose that's where I come in, no?" Toma sighed as he peeked to Makarov, who looked equally surprised. "E.N.D. has been run by the Vastia family for two generations, and they're known by my branch as an old ice Mage family; Lyon's grandfather and an old pal of mine took it upon himself to run a company but remain it strictly Human-only. No one but myself and the Vastia family knows about this, since they stay pretty out of the light for their real existence.

"Lyon here took after his grandfather retired, but with your explanation on how you got into the company, Miss Lockser, I suppose there's two of you who were surrounded by Humans in a confined building," he grinned, but it didn't make anything better for Juvia to come to realize that her boss - the man who worked with for more than two years, no matter! - was a Mage.

"Oi, squirt," Gajeel's voice broke out of the moment of silence to turn around to see the other Dragon Slayer holding the small bucket that _once_ contained the ice Silver was snacking on. "Ya feelin' alright? You melted all the ice."

Juvia nearly forgot how close the bucket of ice was to her when Silver came to her side on the table. Clearing her throat, Juvia contained herself to stop the warmth of the water still inside the container before looking back down to the floor, refusing to meet Lyon's questioning gaze on her.

"Mister Toma, Master Makarov, if it's not too much to ask," Juvia spoke calmly, "but may Juvia speak to Lyon alone for a moment?"

The two elderly men looked to each other before nodding. "Sure, but only a moment. I hate to leave my honored guests shut away from the party," Toma said casually before glaring darkly to Makarov, both sliding their masks back on. "As for you, you cheating fool…"

"We're taking it to the dancefloor," Makarov grumbled back as both Erza and Hisui sighed. "It's gonna be like back at the underground disco, you old man. Think you can keep your back in place?"

"As long as you don't dislocate your hip!"

Juvia watched carefully as one-by-one her family head out of the doorway, Cana passing by to whisper that she left some of the champagne in the bottle back on the table for her before leaving. Gajeel took the bucket with him after dumping the water contents into the unused fireplace, no doubt planning on peeling it apart for his own treat and Happy flew out with the plate of chocolates; Lucy and Natsu held hands tightly as they went through and Erza gave a supporting nod to Juvia while Jellal offered a small smile before leaving.

Silver remained planted by Juvia's side, making Juvia's cheeks blush as she looked up to see him staring at her with some concern leaving her in the room with Lyon.

"Juvia will be fine, Father-sama," Juvia told him a bit cheerfully, tilting her head to the side his his jaw tightened. "Don't worry."

"Just shout if you need me, angelface," Silver said briefly before kissing the top of her head and stare at Lyon threateningly. "I'll be waiting outside the door until you come out."

"Okay," Juvia allowed as Silver stiffly went past Lyon, barely missing the growl he let out to the white haired man before closing the door behind him, leaving the remaining two alone.

Juvia turned around and went to the small table where Cana left the bottle and filled an empty glass, barely hearing Lyon exhaling behind her as she filled the glass and turned around. She didn't look his way as she took a small sip, feeling the tingly sensation on her tongue when she swallowed.

"Is everyone at the hospital okay?" she asked after a minute of painful silence, her hands carefully holding her glass.

"No one is going to say anything of what they witnessed of your tattoo," he answered. "Everyone said they weren't going to say anything after what you did for all of them."

"That's not what Juvia asked," she rolled her eyes before looking to him with an impassive expression. "What Juvia asked is if they are all okay, from last time you saw them."

Lyon seemed a bit taken aback by this, swallowing before relaxing his features. "Yeah, they're all going to be fine. The old woman from the case production?" he saw how Juvia nodded, recalling the woman she helped and held her hand with before coming to the decision of ruining her image to her co-workers. "I was told she was going to need a wheelchair for a while, but she will make a full recovery. She would ask for you constantly but won't explain why… She wanted to know if you were in the hospital."

"Juvia sees," she said softly, taking another sip. "Juvia has only heard from the TV and radio, and she was very concerned for them. She's glad that they are all okay."

Lyon nodded slowly. "So...you're a Mage?"

"Juvia is a Mage of Fairy Tail," she said. "She was brought to the Fairy Tail home in Magnolia as a child and took on training to become a Mage for the government under Master Makarov's care. The Guild disbanded about nine or ten years before Juvia was hired to E.N.D. by request."

"How come you wouldn't be found in the files during background checks?"

"Juvia was able to tamper with the systems and pass through all examinations to pass for a Human," she shrugged, not really wanting to repeat her conversation earlier. "If you're curious, you can ask Mister Toma about it."

Lyon shrugged one shoulder, looking to a chair before carefully pushing it out in a silent offer to her as he took the other chair - the one Natsu and Lucy were sharing - settling both hands on the armrests, tapping his fingers. Juvia eventually took his invitation and took the chair, setting her glass on the table before putting her hands on her lap.

Lyon seemed to struggle trying to wrap his mind together, Juvia could practically tell that his brain was buzzing with so many questions and things he wanted to say. She remained quiet as he took a few deep breathes and rest an elbow on the chair, rubbing his temple sorely as he looked to her with incredulous eyes.

"How did you escape, Juvia?" he asked finally while she remained still and patient.

"Juvia is a water Mage," she explained, "so Juvia escaped to the garden ruins and went into the ocean. She woke up in Cedar Town, where some of Juvia's family lives."

"_Cedar_?" Lyon shrieked. "That's a two-day train ride nonstop!"

"Juvia is capable of traveling quickly within her element," she shrugged.

"So, those people who were in here with you...they're your family?"

"Yes," Juvia nodded. "From the home, they are Juvia's brothers and sisters. They were all in Cedar, but Makarov was here in Akane. We met him here only recently."

"You always spoke so highly of them, what little you would tell me I guess," Lyon chuckled dryly, rubbing his neck again nervously. "Your dad...he's a colorful guy. You must have gotten your mother's personality instead of his right? The tough-guy look, I mean."

Juvia blinked slowly. "Father-sama isn't Juvia's biological parent, Lyon."

The white haired man tilt his head, looking to the closed door and back to her. "He seemed to act like he was your dad, though. I thought he was going to squish me with just a pinch," he struggled. "You call him your father, and he definitely treats you as his own kid."

Juvia shook her head slowly as she reached for her glass again. "No, Father-sama is a fatherly figure to Juvia, but he is Juvia's father-in-law," she said as she brought the glass to her lips, not missing the way Lyon choked on his own saliva, pounding a fist to his chest to properly breathe again.

"You're _married_?" Lyon gasped with wide eyes, leaning forward in absolute shock by the information. "You never said you were married!"

"Juvia was engaged, per say, but Father-sama has always remained who he is to Juvia even after the marriage didn't become official," she explained to him, crossing her legs underneath her dress. "Consider it the same result of finding out that your boss is a Mage running a Human-based operation."

"Juvia, I had my reasons to not reveal my identity. I didn't even _know_ you were a Mage until the attack, much less considered you for one!" he defended himself to her. "There's a difference from that and you being engaged!"

The woman rolled her eyes and downed the last of her drink. "Lyon, Juvia's marital status doesn't concern with the situation here. Juvia feels that you have forgotten that you were shocked by the fact that I was a Mage and defended her co-workers after she vowed to the government to never use her abilities in public again."

"They were after you, Juvia," Lyon added in a hard voice. "They were looking for you and you saved more lives than those who were killed by them. No one is going to blame you for breaking a law for doing something that heroic."

"That's the last of Juvia's worries of legal issues. Juvia has had her fair share with politics and breaking laws in the name of Fairy Tail, trust me."

"Besides that," Lyon breathed, "why in the fucking hell were those Mages after you, and how did they know who and where you were in the first place? That's what I really want to know!"

Juvia leaned back against the chair, resting her bare back on the soft plush as she fiddled with her glass with a distant look in her eyes. "Lyon wouldn't believe Juvia if she said it."

The other chair scooted closer to her, making Juvia come back to her senses when she felt Lyon's large hands engulf her lonely one on her lap, firmly holding her hand as he leaned forward and spoke in a gentle, honest voice.

"Juvia, even after everything that has happened and everything we've been through in the past, I don't want you to lose your trust in me," he said sincerely, making Juvia remember all the consoling he gave her back when she was just his assistant. "I can look past any of this you being a Mage or hiding that since working with me, I just want to know who is after you. Everyone who is in the hospital is safe, I just have one last person to worry for and she's really important to me. She's so important."

Juvia sighed, her fingers curling under his hold. "Juvia is being chased after her fiance, Gray Fullbuster. However, Juvia doesn't know why - everyone thought he was dead a long time ago."

=xxx=

_Juvia Lockser sat in one of the common rooms of Fairy Tail home, staring blankly out the window as rain pelted against the window, blurring any of the nature or sunshine from view. It has been raining on and off due to her emotions, and it was completely out of her control. No matter how hard she had tried to stop the rain from ruining Magnolia's everyday life of sunny spring days, it just crept back up into the sky and began pouring once more._

_She was just thankful that spring was able a rainy season, and Magnolia did need some rain for crops and grass._

"_Juvia-chan," Lucy's voice whispered in the room, making the blue haired woman close her eyes and turn her chin down to her lap. Her body wrapped in bendable bandages and patches on her face, she was dressed in a dark red nightgown with a blanket over her sore legs._

_She was recovering physically, despite how much water she would be forced to drink by her older siblings and by her mentors, her body was just not healing as quick as it usually should. It had to do with her emotions, they concluded after a while, and accepted to give her the best support she needed to help her body and mind…_

_It didn't do much with the fact that the one she loved was dead, as stated by Makarov after weeks of searching for Gray Fullbuster._

_Feeling the change in the couch cushion, Juvia dried her face with her hands and sniffed tiredly as Lucy sat close to her. She nearly forgot that Lucy and Natsu had returned from a important job yesterday - Juvia had remained in her bedroom instead of welcoming them home as she usually would. She hasn't felt very mobile or up to speaking much lately. It was only a matter of time when Lucy would look for her and keep her company for a bit._

_Looking to the blonde, Juvia noticed that Lucy wasn't exactly alone._

_Or empty handed, in a better term._

_A soft smile on the blonde's face, Lucy carefully cradled the bundle in her arms as she scooted a bit closer to the quiet water Mage, fixing the pink blanket to reveal the chubby face of a baby blinking up to her. Rosy cheeks and beautiful brown eyes, the baby adorned a lovely shade of dark blue in tiny tufts sprouting from the blanket. Tiny hands curled under the baby's chin, it yawned and shuddered before relaxing in Lucy's arms._

"_This is Wendy," Lucy introduced in a hushed to Juvia, who blinked in surprise. "Natsu and I found her in the ruins of the neighborhood that was attacked by anti-Mage groups. Her parents didn't make it."_

_Lucy smiled a little bit as she brought a finger to Wendy's cheek, tenderly petting the pad of her finger to the flushed cheek. The baby cooed at the sensation. "She's from a family known as the Marvells. They're known as a Human family, but Wendy was the first Mage to be born into the family in the last few generations. Natsu and I are going to adopt her."_

"_Adopt?" Juvia whispered, a little too nervous to speak to loud in front of the baby. Her two friends had only recently gotten married at the young age of seventeen, despite Lucy's father being too worried about getting wed at such a young age, the two obviously were head over heels for each other and wanted it official. Juvia was able to attend as a bridesmaid with the rest of her sister-figures before she went on her last mission with her own fiance._

"_Yeah, we're having the government officializing the documents now," Lucy nodded, her smile growing as her cheeks flushed. "However, we're going to be taking her surname in honor for her parents, so she still has something special of them. The papers brought to the public with us will say 'Marvell' instead of 'Dragneel'; it will be conjoined in the Mage business."_

"_You're adopting a baby…"_

"_Uh-huh. She's going to be our baby girl, our little angel," Lucy giggled. "You should have seen her last night, Juvia-chan. Natsu was puffing faint fireballs and she would try and mimic him, but she has air abilities so she practically ruined Natsu's hair; she got a kick whenever Natsu made funny noises at her. Only a few months old and she's already a strong baby!"_

_Angling the babe to look better at Juvia, the blue haired woman locked eyes with adorable brown orbs staring at her innocently and curiously. Juvia swallowed thickly when Lucy carefully grasped Juvia's wrapped wrist and brought it up to rest atop of the pink blanket. She held perfectly still, frozen on the spot when Wendy made a soft, pleasured noise and her cheeks bubbled in a toothless grin. Wendy's eyes crinkled with her nose as she let out a obvious puff of air, blowing Juvia's long waves aside._

"_Baby girl, Mommy wants you to meet your auntie," Lucy said lovingly, resting her palm ontop of Juvia's hand on Wendy's blanket. The baby repeated the blow of hair at Juvia, tickling her bare neck as Lucy giggled. "It means she likes you, Juvia-chan. She does that whenever she's happy about something; she's only done that with me and Natsu, she freaked out when anyone else tried to get near her or touch her when it's not me or Natsu."_

_Lucy pressed a soft kiss to the baby's cheek, igniting another happy noise from her. "This is Aunt Juvia, Wendy," Lucy told the baby before looking to Juvia. "Aunt Juvia is a very good lady, no? Not as scary as Gajeel? You like her already, don't you, little baby."_

_Juvia's eyes grew a new layer of tears, silently slipping as her lips twitched upward just the littlest bit. "Hi Wendy...I'm Aunt Juvia. You're a very pretty baby."_

"_Would you like to help me hold her, Juvia-chan? Natsu and I are still getting things for her and all that, and she likes having attention," Lucy grinned. "She seems to like you already."_

_A sniffle came from the water Mage, her emotions clashing between grief and joy. Her face twisting in an emotionally strained expression as she nodded in response and hid her face on Lucy's shoulder. "Y-yeah," she hiccuped. "J-Juvia would l-like to h-hold Wendy…"_

"_We're in this together, Juvia-chan," Lucy whispered, resting her head against Juvia's. "We're in this together, and so is Wendy. We're all here for you and we all love you so much."_

"_Th-thank...thank you."_

"You were engaged to him, but you got separated during a job while both of you were injured, and you woke up on the train heading back to the home?" Lyon inquired over the details he was given, seeing her nod in confirmation.

"Juvia doesn't remember what happened. She was in and out of her mind and barely remembers what caused her injuries," she shrugged. "We looked for him for months and it took until Makarov concluded that he must have died while trying to get Juvia to the train. She was in the cargo hold, if she remembers right…"

"Now he's here and he's after you. Why?"

Juvia shook her head. "Juvia doesn't know. The violence he's causing is completely unnecessary or the backup he brought along with him; he looks to be a leader of some kind, or Gray joined an illegal Guild while he was missing." Juvia sighed and rubbed her temples carefully. "Juvia is just worried for her family. It could only be a matter of time before he can figure out where Juvia is and harm everyone else."

"Shouldn't you be worried for yourself, Juvia?" Lyon asked in a serious voice and Juvia rolled her eyes. "Really! There's an army after you, and you're acting as if you have nothing to do with it. It's like you put everyone else before yourself, it's not healthy!"

"Juvia can tell Lyon now that it takes a lot to make her weak," she narrowed her eyes to her boss, which he responded with a blink of surprise. "Juvia's body is not as fragile as it appears, Lyon. She is also part of her element when she feels threatened."

"You mean you can morph your _body_ into water..?" Lyon tilt his head.

She nodded, grasping a pen that was on the table and raised it high above her hand resting at the top. Before Lyon could jump in to stop her, she impaled the back of her hand with it, only to reveal that her hand remained undamaged. Droplets of water rose from the attack, the pen right through her porcelain-looking skin as she raised it up, allowing the pen to drop through back onto the table before her palm regained its solid form.

Holding her hand up and glancing to Lyon, Juvia remained calm while Lyon held a fist to his chest, his eyes wide in shock. "You see? It takes more than weapons for attacks like flying rocks to even hurt Juvia. Juvia drinks large amounts of water to keep herself hydrated enough to keep this ability active day and night," she explained, allowing Lyon to reach forward and touch her laces hand carefully.

Bringing her hand into his hold, his thumb swept where the pen should have caused her to bleed while the other cradled her arm in a tender hold. "I've never seen anything like this before. Or water Mages," he exhaled in amazement and awe. "I remember my grandfather telling me stories of his own grandparents meeting water Mages as _children, _but I thought they were just a myth from the ice Mage community."

"Juvia's parents were from lines of water Mages, she remembers. Juvia's father was a Mage while Juvia's mother's parents had the ability, but she has never met them - apparently my parents' family died or went missing before Juvia was born. Juvia's parents also died but her father didn't seem to know of morphing his body into water, like Juvia. That was how Juvia survived the attack as a kid."

Lyon's hand carefully held her manicured fingers, rubbing her knuckles as he looked to her with gentle eyes and a sorrowed frown. "I'm sorry, Juvia...about everything that happened to you and not realizing that you were so much more important to me than before," he said quietly.

Juvia shook her head, looking to him with a small smile. "It's okay, Lyon. Juvia is very glad that Lyon is alive and healthy," she confessed sweetly. "You were on Juvia's mind ever since the attack, really, and Juvia wanted nothing more than to find out if Lyon was safe or not with the rest of the employees of E.N.D.!"

"It was a good thing everyone was sedated in the room when I broke out," he forced a half-grin to her. "Can you imagine seeing me breaking out in nothing but my boxers and a hospital gown? I looked like a complete fool." He chuckled when Juvia's other hand popped to her lips in shock. "I'm not kidding. Before it was my turn to be checked on, I was dressed in a paper dress and hightailing it out of there."

"Lyon!" Juvia bit back a giggle as she covered her mouth, shaking her head. "It's like the time at the Christmas party when you dressed as Santa, and the pants had a large hole in the rear and you didn't know it!"

"Can't believe you remember that," Lyon groaned, paling at the memory. "Jesus, I didn't even notice the breeze down there until I passed the fan - No wonder why the ladies were staring behind me the whole time!"

"Juvia was told for weeks after about Lyon's bottom," Juvia grinned. "And his seasonal underwear of Rudolph with candy canes!"

"Okay, that's enough about that," Lyon stopped her as he covered her mouth with his large hand, muffling her adorable laugh as he smirked to her. "Save that for my own birthday or speech, alright?"

Holding her hand more firmly, Lyon looked down to her laces limb and brushed his thumb more slowly and tender over her small fingers and knuckles. "When I asked Toma of the Guild tattoo you had and looked up Fairy Tail, I never even considered that you would have been part of a strong Guild like that. Nevertheless, I stayed awake a lot during the night wondering if you were caught or not and hated myself for not stopping the men from taking me away back at the ball…"

"Lyon shouldn't put that weight on his shoulders. Lyon should know by now that Juvia is capable of getting business done," she said softly, her other hand coming to rest atop his, making him stop moving. "Juvia is not mad at Lyon for anything. She's just pretty shocked that Lyon is a Mage himself."

"Likewise," Lyon smirked to her.

"And an ice Mage, too," Juvia perked. "Father-sama would love to speak to you. He's an ice Mage himself, and a fairly strong one at that!"

Lyon's face paled as his lip twitched nervously. "I-I, ugh… I doubt your _father _would want to speak to me. He gave a pretty hard first impression when I came in…"

"Father-sama is just very protective of Juvia," she said as she got up from her chair, pulling Lyon to his feet as she smiled up to him. Pulling her mask back down to conceal her face, she unconsciously reached up to Lyon and pulled his mask back into place carefully, like she used to do with his tie before he went to a serious meeting back at work. "Well, all of Juvia's brothers and sisters are being over protective of Juvia right now and she can't do much about it, no matter how hard she tried. We're going to figure out the situation with Gray though, so it shouldn't take long with Juvia's big sisters getting hyped up and Natsu-san and Gajeel-kun just itching to fight."

Lyon exhaled a quiet chuckle, looking at her so adoringly as she smiled and spoke of her family so brightly as she tugged him towards the door. "You always seem so happy when you talk about your family, you notice that?"

Juvia's smile grew bigger as she twisted the knob, opening it to let in the band's beautiful waltz music and finding her siblings cheering for their Master on the main floor from the railings with Silver waiting patiently. "Lyon will love Juvia's family as much as she does, once you get to know them," she said sweetly as she looped her arm with his, guiding him closer to see Silver smiling their way - much more friendly this time.

"Everything okay, angelface?" Silver asked once Juvia detached herself from her boss and leapt to Silver's waiting arms.

"Just fine, Father-sama," Juvia smiled at the noise of Gajeel's loud whistle and Natsu's hoot, followed by Lucy's smack on her husband's head and his whine of pain. "Who is winning now?"

"Honestly? No clue," Silver shrugged, looking over the ledge to the bottom to see Toma and Makarov stripped of their fancy coats and attempting to out-do each other in a salsa-like move while Hisui stood at the corner of the clapping crowd with an irritated look in her eye. "I'm guessing the winner will be whoever tires out first."

The dance off was considered a tie, both Toma and Makarov becoming too tired at the exact same time and pointed at each other in bated breaths. Fairy Tail cheered for Makarov's dedication and hardwork against his friend, allowing the rest of the masqurade party to continue on with dancing, eating and drinking merrily.

Natsu found the buffet table right away, helping himself to one of everything on a single plate as well as Lucy's favorites to "even it out." His wife just rolled her eyes at the sight and accepted the parfait he got for her and the tiny spoon that came with it, giving him a kiss on the cheek for being considerate for her before he stuffed his face with Happy's help. Cana was busy asking millions of questions to Toma and Makarov on which is the better wine before sampling all of them herself.

Juvia remained at Silver's side, letting him guide her by linked arms as he introduced her to some of his old acquaintances from different Guilds and past jobs; many were as joyful to see Juvia beside Silver and was equally impressed whenever Lyon was in the distance, pointing him out for Juvia to go red in the face and Silver to growl under his breath (the other Mages laughed at their reactions).

Once it became later into the night, Juvia briefly said how she needed to use the restroom but didn't know where it was. Being a regular attendant at Toma's parties, Silver began leading her towards a less occupied hallway where the restrooms would be.

The waltz music was somewhat tuned out as both Silver and Juvia hummed brightly and swayed to the music with laughter escaping their lips, making them both feel intoxicated with the atmosphere than alcohol.

"How are you enjoying yourself, angelface?" Silver asked when they messed up on a musical verse, making Juvia laugh hysterically when he puffed his cheeks.

"Juvia is enjoying herself, Father-sama," she grinned brightly as she rest the side of her head against his muscular arm. "When Juvia is done in the ladies room, would you like to try some of those desserts they have on the table? Natsu-san said that the strawberry cake is very good."

Silver nodded before looking down to her glowing face. "Say, that Lyon guy...he's your boss from E.N.D.?"

"Mm, yeah?" Juvia blinked up to him. "Lyon is Juvia's boss for the last two years. Juvia is sure she has told you about him a few times."

"He seems to take a liking to you," he said in a low voice.

Juvia slowly came to a stop, tugging Silver to a halt in his steps as she looked to him through her mask's eye holes. When he looked to her serious expression, he offered a half-smile. "Hey, don't make that face now, will ya?" he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Can't blame him that my daughter-chan is a beautiful young woman."

"It's not like that, Father-sama," Juvia stressed to him. "Lyon is Juvia's friend and boss, and he knows fairly well that Juvia is not interested in -"

"I know, sweetheart," Silver chuckled quietly, placing a hand on top of hers that was holding onto his arm. "I know, with everything you've been through and all that has happened, I'm not saying anything in regards for you to return the feelings."

Juvia bit her lip and looked around the hallway, finding no one she knew nearby to listen in on their conversation. "If it's anything, Juvia has made it very clear she's not interested in relationships. Lyon has respected that very well and has not bothered Juvia for dates or anything - it's not compatible between us, Father-sama. It can't happen."

"Who is to say?"

Silver watched Juvia stiffen and slowly pull her hand away from his gentle hold of her hand. Seeing her wrap her arms around herself, tapping her heeled foot carefully on the marbled flooring, he tilt his head to try and meet her eyes. "I understand and I am not forcing you to think of things in regards to relationships. I'm thankful that there is another person who really cares for you."

"Father-sama, Juvia -!"

"Even if he seems a bit full of himself and thinks he can whisk my daughter-chan away in a hug right infront of me, it's nice to know that there's another who cares as much as I do," he told her gently, an honest grin on his face. Juvia swallowed before looking over his shoulder to see the small restroom sign.

"Excuse me, Father-sama. Juvia needs the bathroom," she said quickly before stepping around him. She went through the women's door, leaving the tall, older man to watch her disappear once the door closed.

Silver scratched the back of his head with a sigh before glancing over to see a familiar figure with white hair in the crowd, appearing to conversing with his son's friends as if he had known them long before that night. Lyon was chatting with Gajeel over Natsu and Lucy's dancing (which was really Natsu trying to imitate Toma and Makarov's moves while Lucy laughed), Cana bringing Happy a drink for his size and Erza blushing at Jellal's offer for a cheesecake he found from the food table.

Sighing again, Silver looked to the closed door and went to the opposite wall, deciding to wait as long as he needed until she felt better to come back out after his little confession.

Juvia took care of her original need quickly, washing her hands at one of the beautiful sink hastily until she slowed down. Her fingers began shaking under the running water as she bit back a dry sob, pushing her mask off of her face, pushing her bangs back before a tear slipped from her eyes.

It wasn't that Silver told her that he accepts Lyon in her life, or even that he sees her boss' protectiveness equal to his own. She couldn't bring herself to figure out why she felt overwhelmed with feelings, but her heart twisted in her chest at the thought of Gray with his face stained with black inks and his red eyes piercing at her and that smile on his face when he found her at the edge of the cliff…

Then there was Lyon's sudden embrace when he found her in the room with her family.

Gripping the edge of the counter tightly, Juvia bent her head down to let the tears fall out of her eyes and into the sink. Her nose a bit stuffy at holding as much as she could on the inside, she recalled all the times she felt her heart flutter when Lyon greeted her every morning at work. The times he trusted Juvia with something important or personal and being his backbone for meetings and court cases as his assistant, how she would smile to joyfully to him when he praised her and offered to buy her lunch during breaks.

All of that, yet it was never the same feeling Juvia felt when she was with Gray.

She wanted nothing more than to none of this to happen to her: Losing Gray and finding him as he is now, chasing after her. Moving to Fiore City and employing herself into the world's top Mage corporations to keep her family hidden and safe after the disbandment. Meeting Lyon on her first day of work as she stuttered her words and accidentally knocked her skull on his nose, all while he was red in the cheeks and forgiving her.

Shutting her eyes tightly and it all came back to Gray's words to her that night on the ledge of the rocks above the ocean.

"_Juvia, I love you."_

A strained sob escaped her throat as her shoulders shook. Memories of their naked bodies pressed together and how he kept her so safe and warm in his arms; his lips to her ear as she fell asleep to the sound of their breathing and his heartbeat.

"_Juvia, I love you."_

The time her hands were bloodstained and she was brought back to camp to be cleaned up before being questioned to go home. How it was he who cleaned her hands for her and changed her dress for one of his shirts that enveloped her in warmth that was just Gray. Being held so close to him and his head resting atop of hers as she stared off into nothing.

"_Juvia, I love you."_

His red eyes looking at her so longingly with his hand outstretched to her, as if he was begging to her silently to let him hold her. His face marked like ink on paper as he spoke those words that only _he _could say.

"_Juvia, I love you."_

Hunching over deeper, Juvia shook her head in denial. No, she would never feel the same for Lyon, no matter how much she could try and try to open up to him. However, just all this pain inside her chest over the loss of the life she made for herself after recovering from her wounds and the lost of the one she loved most - coming back from the dead and causing more pain and more wounds inside her body. If she could move on, perhaps, she could be with the man who dedicated himself to her safety while the last one was gone for ten years? Forget the young man who held her heart in his hands before he died, only to be reborn into his monster in front of her eyes? Maybe Silver's subtle hint could prove it to her?

"I-I can't..!" she sobbed hard. "J-Juvia doesn't know...I _can't!"_

.

.

.

=xxx=

AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE - Let's raise some hell up in this fanfiction, babehz!

Don't forget to Review, Follow, Favorite or do nothing. Reviews help me stay motivated and hearing from you all makes me happy regardless.


	14. Chapter 14

Wrote this while listening to Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty Waltz" because I found it rather fitting, and I'm also just a giant nerd for orchestra music. Let's make it the official song for this fanfiction!

Don't forget to Review, Follow, Favorite or make yourself some food. Remember that Kitty loves you so much and your words make me feel fuzzbally on the inside!

=xxx=

.

.

.

Sleeping Beauty

Juvia wasn't expecting to find Lyon waiting for her outside the restroom instead of Silver.

Having cleaned herself up quickly, fixing her hair and propping her mask in its place to shield the slight smudges of her mascara under her eyes, Juvia nearly forgot that she left her father-figure outside with their conversation cut off. Once she brought herself to figure what to properly say to Silver about her feelings for Lyon and Gray and everything in between, she composed herself to be neutral as possible.

Once Lyon noticed her coming out, he leaned off the wall and approached her carefully. He noticed she was looking around for the other man she was expecting, making him offer a small smile. "Your father was called by Toma and your Guildmaster to discuss about something. He asked me to wait out here for you," he explained in a soft voice.

"Oh," was all she said, her shoulders dropping a bit.

"You doing okay, Juvia?" he asked her next, making her exhale a soft chuckle at how concern he always was about her. No matter how tiny it seemed, whenever she sounded remotely sad, Lyon would pop in for her. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes," she said, forcing herself to sound more chipper. "Forgive Juvia, it's just been a lot going on lately."

"I understand," he nodded, standing straight to create space she desperately needed. Lyon offered out a hand to her, like the prince did in Juvia's favorite childhood story, making her heart flutter sadly in her chest. Only allowing the tips of her fingers to be wrapped by his gloved hands, Juvia let him guide her out of the hallway and towards the area opposite of the band and fountain, where her family were collected at one of the round tables in the corner.

"Juvia-chan!" Lucy greeted in a excited whisper once Juvia took the chair Lyon pulled out for her while he remained standing. The blonde masked Mage had a elegant plate with a cute raspberry tart on it with pudding-like cream filled in the center. "Check out these little treats. I feel so bad that Wendy couldn't be here - she would love these."

Lucy offered Juvia a tiny fork for her to take a sample, which Juvia quietly obeyed as she got herself a small piece and ate it carefully. A small smile on her face blossomed at the familiar sweetness that she could definitely relate to her niece. "Perhaps we can make a little party for Wendy when we get home. Make these treats on pretty plates, some tea and dress up like tonight. Juvia is sure Erza-nee wouldn't mind if she borrowed the dress again."

"Not at all, dear," Erza said with a smile while she was getting Jellal to his feet for a dance. "You make it look much better than I can. You can keep it."

Lucy sighed with a smile. "Wendy always wants to dress up like a princess and have little parties," she said sweetly while Juvia took another small bite of the cake.

Juvia smiled before looking up to Lyon. "Are you not going to sit, Lyon?" she asked him before he shook his head politely.

"I should see Toma and apologize for what I did earlier," he shrugged. "You know, bursting in and practically tackling you…"

"Bah, it's not like that's the first time it happened to my Juvia," Cana snickered from across the table, hugging her green bottle of wine between her cleavage. It was obvious to Juvia that her brunette friend took it from the bartender when he wasn't looking. "Can't tell you how many times people just get her for a hug. I'm still trying to break my record!"

"Hush, Cana-nee," Juvia rolled her eyes when she snickered and slipped down her chair, smushing her cheek against the bottle as Lyon cleared his throat uncomfortably. Looking back to Lyon, Juvia offered him an honest, sweet smile. "Once Lyon is done, will you offer Juvia a dance? Juvia enjoyed dancing with Lyon last time."

Lyon instantly grinned, nodding. "Of course," he agreed before going off into the crowd, disappearing from view and letting Juvia turn back to the table. Erza and Jellal left to the dancefloor while Natsu was still finishing his plate beside Lucy. Gajeel was nowhere in sight and Happy was conversing with a crowd of Mages by the bar, finding other interesting Exceed breeds of cats, dogs and a fish?

Of course, being with her family made her feel better about herself. Not to mention that Hisui is well known for throwing the most glamorous parties, Juvia couldn't help herself to let go a little bit and try to enjoy her time outside of the Human-ruled society.

"Oh, you're going to dance already, Juvia-chan?" Lucy blinked as Juvia carefully stood up and fixed her long skirt.

"Juvia thinks it will do some good to dance for a bit," the blue haired woman smiled warmly to the blonde, who returned the smile and the obvious sparkle in her brown eyes through her mask. "If Lyon comes back, will you tell him I'm on the dance floor, Lucy-chan?"

"Of course. We may join you once Natsu's belly settles," Lucy giggled at her husband's sudden freeze frame at the call of his name before resuming his meal. "Do you need a partner?"

"Juvia will find one," she said casually. "See? Plenty of people dancing, so Juvia should be able to snag someone."

"Whadda 'bout meh?" Cana slurred with a huff as she crawled herself back on the table, giving Juvia a puppy face.

"Perhaps if Cana sobers up a little bit to prevent an accident," Juvia winked, seeing how Cana perked and slammed the bottle on the table, demanding someone to bring her a jug of water. Juvia smiled before leaving the table towards the beautifully decorated center of the building, admiring the chandelier above while the band readied for the next song and everyone was finding a partner.

Juvia waited patiently as men and women Mages scurried around excitedly, barely catching Erza being held close as possible by Jellal, his head tucked into her neck and obviously whispering sweet words to make her smile adorably. Juvia sighed happily at the sight once the music picked up to a starting, turning her cheek to the band while everyone on the floor prepared themselves with their partners.

A sudden grasp of her laced hand made Juvia jump a bit and turn to see a handsomely dressed character with pure black and gold coat and white pants with black boots. Wearing a heavy volto mask that concealed the man's face besides his mouth, he also had a feathered hat to match with his whole attire as he gestured to the dancefloor silently.

Juvia smiled and nodded in agreement as the man guided her through the flurry of people to the middle of the floor with the music with his gloved hands, instantly positioning himself for Juvia to fit in with one hand on his upper arm and the other in his waiting palm; his own carefully rest against the curve of her waist and readying his feet once the band created the pause of silence before starting the slow waltz, letting the bodies of people begin to move fluidly around the porcelain floor and hanging decorations that reminded Juvia of stars.

Juvia and her partner moved in perfect sync along with the band and the surrounding members of the floor, each step was taken gracefully as they spun around for an opening move to be curled back into the man's arms. She enjoyed the feeling of the proper moves for the music, feeling incredibly warm at how careful her partner was in handling her like she was fragile.

Then, he spoke.

"I can see that your dancing hasn't lessened over the years."

Juvia's heart stopped as she was brought back to face him, his hold on her suddenly tightened to keep her from leaning too far away. Juvia stared through her mask to finally notice the rusty-colored light peeking through the dark holes of the volto mask and the familiar smirk tugging on his lips as he guided them around - Juvia forced to follow Gray's moves.

Her eyes wide, she struggled to find words. "H-how did you…" she looked around for any sight of her older sibling-figures, or the table she knew Lucy and Natsu would probably watch from afar. Unable to see through the mass of dancing bodies, she turned back to stare in disbelief at his casual, cool expression. "How did you know it was -?"

"Granted, there is enough blue haired women attending the party tonight," Gray drawled in a whisper, making her flinch at his tone of voice. When he leaned forward a bit for his lips to reach her ear, she felt herself bite the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming. "However, you were the most beautiful out of anyone, so I knew it was you from miles."

"How did you get in here?" Juvia hissed lowly through her teeth.

"Perhaps a Guild didn't receive the invitation in time from the delivery boy," Gray smirked darkly to her. "The guard isn't all that bright in the head either, counting that this would've been the Guild's first invite and only counted heads and not check for tattoos."

"Juvia could kill you right now -!"

"Ah, but you won't," Gray stopped her with a sudden routined spin, holding her closer that their chests pressed together for her skirt to flow properly. "I've got plenty of my men in here and they're just _ready_ to relive the night at the E.N.D. ball once they suspect danger. You don't want to cause another attack, do you?"

"You're surrounded by Mages, Gray," Juvia reminded him darkly.

"True, but this building was built by natural, rock material," Gray casually implied her to recall the earth Mage. "Just one order from me, and everyone can be crushed by falling rock. It's that easy."

Juvia cursed under her breath, looking around to see if Gajeel or Natsu picked up the scent of Gray or her distress. Surely their noses could pick up emotions of those they are close to, as it was always obvious when Lucy got sick or Levy felt uncomfortable during the morning sickness stage of her pregnancy; hell, there was a time when Juvia was mentally irritated by something and Gajeel picked it up in a snap by buying her ice cream last summer, and she's amazing at hiding her emotions.

"Interesting how my current form blocks natural scents to those I'm around, including myself," Gray chuckled, noticing her frantic glancing and head turning. "It's as if I'm not even here and you're not freaking out on the inside."

"What do you want with me?" Juvia demanded in a low voice, making sure not to disrupt a couple passing them as they laughed joyfully. "Why are you after me?"

"I want you to come with me," he said openly, keeping eyes locked with her fiery ones as he smiled. "Just come with me, then there will be no mess to pick up after. No one has to get hurt, Juvia."

"Over my dead body Juvia will go with you," she retorted stubbornly, her grip on his arm tightening and he took notice to that. His arm was still muscular enough that it didn't hurt even the slightest bit.

"I'm not here to hurt you, Juvia. I need you to come with me," he told her with a soft sigh, both of them bringing themselves around to a new section of the floor. "This is my last chance to get ahold of you before the other guys come in, and I can tell you now that they're not going to be as nice as I am."

"Doesn't make up the fact that Gray attacked Humans and cause chaos in Fiore City," she reminded him flatly.

Gray shrugged. "Gotta get my message out somehow, since I can't seem to find contact information on you or anyone else." When Juvia tried to pull away once they reached the edge of the dance floor, Gray chuckled and pulled her back to him forcefully. "How is everyone else, by the way? Natsu still being a pain in the ass and Cana still drinking?"

Juvia didn't respond to him, giving him the most menacing glare she could muster. However, it looked as if he didn't care by her threatening look as the hand on her waist tenderly stroked her ribs, making her stiffen. His focus on the corset area of her torso instead of her reaction to his touch.

"How is that wound you got from when you fell?" he asked her, surprisingly gentle and concerned in his tone of voice.

"Why do you care?" Juvia bit back, making him sigh and roll his eyes as he brought them back into the inner circle.

"Did you forget what I said the last time we met? What kind of question is that, Juvia, honestly," Gray grumbled so casually that it made her inside boil with rage. "You healed it, right? You have been drinking water once you got out of the ocean, right."

Juvia's eyes narrowed to slits and Gray waited until he shook his head. "You're being awfully stubborn tonight."

"You didn't answer Juvia's question of what you want with her," she snapped back quietly. "Why are you going through all this just to come after me, Gray."

Noticing the lack of suffix within his name, Juvia felt his hands tense on her as he looked down to her with a hard stare. No malice or anything she has seen in his eyes when he presented himself among everybody else, but with her he almost looked like the familiar man she loved before. He wasn't pleased by it, that was obvious to her, but he wasn't holding it against her.

"I need you to come with me," he repeated firmly, almost gentle to her. "You will understand if you will just listen to me, Juvia. I'm not here to hurt you."

"Liar."

The move to dip the man's partner came, and Juvia did everything in her power to remain alert and search for help without causing a scene when her back bent perfectly. Her breath hitched in her throat when she felt the cold material of his mask touching the column of her neck, his breath sending a shiver through her nerves in hot flames as he brought her back up. This time, their faces were closer together and the stare was much more intense than before, as if digging into their souls as the final steps came into place of the waltz.

"I could never bring myself to lie to _you_, Juvia," he told her quietly, making her tune out the music and the chatter of people. Like a melting canvas, Juvia felt herself being alone with him in his arms, dancing together as if there was no problem. But Juvia knew better than to let herself fall for that.

"Then what do you want?" she demanded him.

The music came to a stop, the dancers slowed down before breaking apart to applaud to the band with cheers and whistles, leaving Gray and Juvia still close together with their faces inches apart and hands holding each other tightly as they ignored the world around them. The hand on her waist slowly came up and, without breaking eye contact with her, Gray let his knuckles brush her cheek with the silkiness of his gloves.

Juvia held perfectly still at this action, even when his thumb lightly touched the corner of her glossed lips. The pleasant warmth engulfed her inside and spread throughout her body at his touch, but she wanted to push him away and attack like her head is screaming for her to do.

"I want you in my arms again," he said in a whisper, making her heart thud painfully in her chest. "I want you to know that I'm with you."

Juvia breathed sharply, turning her cheek away from his touch and feeling his hand freeze at the sudden loss. He didn't seem to mind it as her eyes frantically looked around at the crowd, their own two selves in the middle of the growing space.

"The music stopped," she said hurriedly.

"So it has."

"Let Juvia go."

His arm around her tightened when she tried taking a step back. "Come with me, Juvia. No harm will come to you if you just -!"

"**Ice Make: Shield!"**

Bulky, blueish-green ice caused them both to separate from each other, Juvia able to slide on her heels to keep balance while Gray leapt away and landed on his feet with a slight stumble. Screams of surprise and an uprising panic occurred from the crowd as Gray straightened up and glared over to the intruder of their conversation while Juvia turned her head to see Lyon in a ready stance, his mask lost, and looking very, very angry.

Juvia noticed Gray tilt his head and a dark grin stretching on his lips. His gloved hand coming to the trim of his hat, Gray pulled it off his slicked back hair and chuckled darkly. "Well, that's awfully rude of you. We were having a private conversation."

"Can it, Fullbuster!" Lyon shouted, making the rest of the party goers fall into silence and glance to each other. "You're not getting away this time, you hear? This is a Mage get-together."

"Juvia, is this that Lyon Vastia man I've heard so much about?" Gray inquired with a glance her way over the spiked wall. Pressing the hat to his chest with one hand where his heart was, he faked a pout. "So he's an ice Mage? Not really clean-cut with his aiming, I must say. Nearly pierced you if you didn't move…"

"You're surrounded, son," Silver said on the other side of the dance circle, arms crossed. Juvia stiffened at the intense stare Silver was giving his own son as everyone began to piece together the situation. "Keep your hands apart and sit down on the floor."

Gray frowned and peeked behind him. "Nice to see you too, Dad. How's the back?"

Silver whistled sharply and Juvia realized the sudden appearance of Natsu and Gajeel at either side of her as she stood up straight. Both men had their backs facing her, silently informing her that she had equal holds to her actions while they searched the crowd for any other out of place characters.

"What do you want with Juvia?" Lyon demanded in a shout, making Gray roll his eyes as he raised his volto mask off his face, revealing the familiar black marks slashed across his face.

Gray's eyes narrowed at Lyon, his hand reaching to the ice wall the other had created. His gloved hand grasping a shard of ice and breaking it off, and observed it boredly. "You know, it's fairly bad for a first impression on someone by asking their personal business. I read articles on you, Lyon Vastia, so I assume you're used to getting into people's business…"

Crushing the ice in his hand like it was nothing, Gray gave a sharp glare as his voice deepened to a more threatening tone. "It makes me decide that I don't like you at all."

Lyon snapped at this and fisted his hands together, stretching them out towards him. "**Ice Make: Dragonfly!"**

Multiple, small-sized bugs made of ice sprouted him his fist and shot towards Gray, who seemed unfazed by it as he clapped his hands together and mumbled "**Ice Make: Shield" **and formed a large dome to protect him, shattering the ice bugs against it as he held his ground firmly.

Juvia grabbed the back collars of Natsu and Gajeel to pull them away from flying shards of ice kicking her feet up to create a hot streak of water to jet them away, as well as melting the junks nearly hitting them while the remaining stabbed through the hard flooring. The two men stumbled before they grabbed a single masked man who dove straight for Juvia while she remained distracted, slamming him against the pillar and finding that his fingers transformed into metal shards of knives.

Gajeel snickered. "Oi, Salamander," he said to Natsu, "bet me that I can eat this man's fingers off?" Grabbing the man's hand tightly, he showed Natsu the knife digits.

"Bet ya twenty bucks you can't keep it down," Natsu smirked. "Who knows where the dude's hand has been!"

A sudden glow appeared at the other side of the ballroom, where Erza requipped her dress into silver armor and a giant scythe in her hands while Jellal used his own golden flame to attack two other men who attempted to hit his wife. Other Mages inside the building grew tense as they pinpointed the enemies out in their attire and readied themselves with their own abilities and magic bravely.

Juvia's eyes widened as she searched the area for the familiar green hair of Sol. It wasn't until she stopped at the dispersing band trying to assist the attendance in the growing brawl is when she sought the unmoving cello player in a bird-like mask looking straight back at her. A large grin stretching on his lips, Juvia saw as he raised a single hand high above his head and snapped his fingers.

The whole room shook with such intensity as some people lost their footing, others dropped against pillars and tables and chairs to keep themselves upright. Gajeel practically crushed his hostage while Natsu caught a woman in a black dress to save her head from planting on the floor. In the center with the incoming falling debris, Gray's face hardened tenfold as he snarled in pure anger.

Juvia used her chance to push herself off her feet and launched herself towards Sol, her arms forming into a liquid as she had dark intent written in her eyes.

"Jellal!" Erza yelled over the chaos, making the blue haired man nod and cross his arms over his chest.

"Brace for impact!" Jellal roared as a bright light began to illuminate from him, causing Juvia attempt to hurry as she reached Sol's still form. Bringing back her liquified arms and sharpening them to a point that would leave no survivors once pierced.

Then, everything turned white.

=xxx=

Juvia felt her ears ring harshly and her head spun as she forced her eyes to open. Groaning in absolute soreness, she could barely make out distant explosions and fighting as her sight cleared up to see the starry night, smoke and trees in her vision. Coughing dust out of her mouth, Juvia choked as she tossed her head from side-to-side to force herself to get together quickly.

Remembering the falling ceiling coming down on her, Juvia also recalled Jellal's smart act of switching the cave-in into the opposite, an explosion of the building that no doubt caused a gust of wind to blow people around. It was certainly the safest route and smart of Erza and Jellal than attempt teleportation, as it would take too long to get everyone outside the dangerous area.

Getting herself to her elbows, Juvia looked around to find herself stuck in the middle of the woods, counting herself to be rather far away from her original destination and the current activity taking place. Looking down, Juvia noticed how dirty her dress became and her right leg crushed under a boulder from the knee down.

"Fuck," Juvia cursed. She tried to move her foot, sending a sharp pain up her leg as she bit back a shout. It didn't hurt her as much as it would on anyone else, really, but it didn't stop her from getting frustrated that she was practically held down by a giant rock.

Taking a few deep breaths, Juvia focused her right leg to melt into liquid as she yanked her limb out from underneath, tearing a part of her gown as she crawled back to a tree to rest again. Making her leg solid once more, Juvia inspected only minor scratches tearing at her skin. She was missing a heel and decided to remove the other, finding it pointless at the moment to limp that way.

"Water…" Juvia spoke dryly, her throat feeling like sandpaper as she rubbed her free leg and leaned back against the tree. The last drink she had was the champagne in the room where she and her party spoke with Toma and herself with Lyon, knowing fully well that there was no water properties to support her body now. Sure, she was able to form her body into liquid, but it wouldn't be enough to go long distance for attacks or even growing to shield someone. Juvia mentally scolded herself for not taking the time washing her hands to absorb the clean water.

Coughing again at the thought of her need, Juvia heard a snap of a twig and turned her head to see the shadow of Sol coming into the moonlight. His bird mask gone and his red coat missing, he stared at her through his spectacles rather amusingly. She stiffened at his wicked smile as he tilt his head to her.

"You know you've caused quite a stir in our Guild, _Madame?" _Sol chuckled softly as he stopped at a distance Juvia knew would be too far for her to reach with her own body. "Master Gray has been stressing over this and it's causing a strain in how we're being treated because of you."

Juvia forced herself to remain alert and still, to try and scare Sol away as he raised his palms to levitate two rocks about the size of a head. Sol grinned bigger at her careful stare on him. "Don't worry, _Madame. _Master Gray has given specific orders to not kill you, _hon hon! _If you wouldn't mind that I knock you out for a little while, it can be an easy trip back to our hideout and no one needs to fight each other, no?"

The rocks in his control crumbled a bit, forming sharper edges that would most likely damage Juvia at full force. "I just don't want to have to hit you multiple times in the head, you see? Shall we make this quick so you won't feel it until later?"

Juvia braced for the sharp impact as Sol raised the rocks high enough to have aim to her, trying to quickly calculate if she could form her body into liquid to avoid damage. She stared in horror as Sol launched the rocks at her, a silent scream slipping through her dry lips.

Gray's body shield her, taking the blow from the sharp rocks on his bare, muscular back as he grabbed the tree she was against tight enough that frost formed above her head from the collision. He growled darkly through his teeth as the black marks on his body stretched like cracked ice, a long one across his nose to under his left eye and a few on his chest and abdominals. His coat and dress shirt were missing, causing the rocks to puncture his strong back easily with the sharp edges.

Cracking his red eyes open, Gray looked down to the horrified water Mage as he slowly crouched closer to her sitting form. Juvia remained frozen in pure shock as his hands clawed down the tree, leaving ice chunks behind before his stained hand cupped her cheek. His face displayed the pained scream he was holding back, teeth grinding together as his head was just above her own, their eyes meeting.

His thumb caught a tear that was slipping from her eyes, and Juvia suddenly realized that she was crying. Gray's face twisted in pain as his eyes softened to her frightened expression as her throat hitched to try and find words, their faces so close to each other. Juvia felt herself to begin hyperventilating, her shoulder shaking as his thumb gently rubbed under her eye once more, catching another falling tear.

"Shh, it's alright, Juvia," he whispered so quietly that Juvia could barely hear him. His hand softly stroked her dirtied cheek down to her chin, where his fingers barely brushed her trembling lips. "I won't let anyone hurt you…"

A sharp gasp escaped her mouth as she tried to collect herself, her emotions mixing with fear, anger and confusion. Gray hushed her tenderly with another stroke of his hand on her face, his forehead coming to rest against hers so intimately that it made another layer of tears to form in her eyes. He looked to have forgotten any sort of pain as his nose carefully brushed against hers, his voice quietly whispering soft, sweet hushes that made her whole body go numb.

"Ah...G-G-!" she gasped for breath, her eyes wide in shock as she unconsciously pressed her cheek against his waiting palm and his fingers tangled in her ruined hair. "Ha..! _Ah_..!"

"Just relax, Juvia," Gray whispered to her, tilting her chin up a little bit to see his eyes staring so intensely at her. It made her heart twist painfully in her chest at the familiar memories of how he would look at her whenever he felt the need to kiss her or hold her.

"You're _mine_," he said to her, hearing her hiccup dryly. His rusty-colored eyes closed with a half-smirk on his lips at the feeling of her forehead against his own. "I want to keep you safe."

Slowly, Gray's lips began to get closer to her trembling ones, feeling his warm breath against her face. For some reason, Juvia couldn't stop herself from allowing this to happen and her own, watery eyes began to close by themselves...

"Master Gray!" Sol frantically shrieked behind him. "Are you okay, Master?"

Juvia watched as Gray's whole body language changed from tender and protective to dangerously intimidating and angry. His red eyes snapped open as he halt his sweet touches on her exposed skin and the attempted kiss, slowly leaning away from her until he pulled his hands along with him as he stood. Juvia slapped her hand over her mouth at the horrible cuts and damage on his toned back, seeing blood slowly spilling from the wounds caused by Sol's attack when he turned around halfway and the night sky shone light on his spilling blood.

"Sir, you're bleeding!" Sol tried to take a step, but he was shaking in the knees at the dark aura Gray was giving off. "I didn't mean to hit you, Master. It was intended for the _Madame!"_

Gray cracked his neck and rolled his shoulder, making Juvia stiffen at the way he seemed to be ignoring his pain. "What have I said about harm coming to her?" Gray said, his voice filled with pure venom that a shiver shot up her spine. A voice she has never heard from Gray before. "Have you got no ears, Sol?"

"M-Master..?"

Sol didn't stand a chance at Gray's sudden punch to his jaw, sending him flying back as Gray readied himself to attack Sol once more. Juvia shuddered as she watched the green-haired man slowly rise back up in pain only for Gray to attack him once more, igniting a fight between the two as Sol tried to protect himself and Gray used his strength and forming iced shards on his fists.

Juvia exhaled as she blindly searched the tree for support until her fingers found Gray's ice, making her peep quietly and look up to the beautiful, cold material. Eyes widening, Juvia was quick to force herself to stand and lean her body against the tree, using her body heat and hands to rub against the two ice trails to soak into her body through the material of her dress, lace and her own skin.

Stealing from the ice and molding it into water for her to take in, Juvia was quick to restore her energy and heal the scratches on her legs before looking back to see Gray still targeting Sol, the weaker man's face beaten to a bloody pulp as he tried again and again different tactics to shield himself, only for Gray to shatter it swiftly and hit him in the head and stomach area. Juvia took a deep breath, ignoring her tears as she overheard the yells and shouts of battle in the distance, slipping into the brush while the two other men continued on with their one-sided battle.

Sol noticed Juvia disappearing and gasped. "M-Master, the _Madame _is esc -!" Another sharp blow to his jaw caused him to fall and spit out blood, shaking as Gray stood over his fallen form with a menacing glow from his red eyes.

"M-Master, _please_!" Sol begged pathetically, using his injured hands to cover his face.

"I have no patience for those who disobey my orders," Gray stated in a low voice, making Sol shake harder in the dirt. "Especially when it comes to my own goal in catching her. Do you understand?"

"M-Master, sh-she got away!"

Grabbing the earth Mage's collar and lifting so that they were nose-to-nose, Gray lifted his scrawny body off the ground and growled deeply. "The next time you try to harm her and I find out about it, you're going to see what your intestines look like and see how far they stretch from your body!"

Sol sobbed miserably as Gray held him there, seeing his life flash before his eyes and forcing a nod in understanding to his threat. Gray tilt his head to the other side, eyes narrowing, as his lip twitched in one corner into a sinister smirk.

"You going to tell anyone about our little chat?" Gray asked smoothly, making Sol stiffen and shake his head frantically. Gray hummed. "Good. Now tell everyone to fall back before I change my mind about not killing you here with my bare hands," he said flatly as he dropped Sol to the floor, turning around on his heels and heading in the direction that was opposite of where Juvia had left.

"B-but...the _Madame _-!"

"You keep your mouth shut and do as I say," Gray interrupted him. "No point in trying to get her now, since you had to make a scene with the building. The media will be coming shortly, and I'd rather be drunk by the time the boss calls."

Going through the brush on his own trail, Gray unconsciously brought the hand that previously touched Juvia's keep in his view. Slightly stained with Sol's blood from the brawl, Gray didn't mind it as he brought his fingers to rub against his jawline, a snarky smile spreading on his lips as he recalled how Juvia's beautiful face in the night, like she was glowing when he caught sight of her about to be hit by Sol's rocks.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he ran that hand through his hair, his face becoming stoic and stone-cold as he recollected himself for his character. He knew for sure that Sol won't say anything that he had just witnessed, nor will all the blame be put on Gray for the building collapse of his solid plan.

Now he's going to have to deal with _them_ coming in.

.

.

.

=xxx=

AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE - -does that Snoop Dog gif that goes with any song you play it to- WHOOP THERE IT IS, BITCHES.


	15. Chapter 15

Hahaha, well hey there beautiful babehz.

-leaves-

=xxx=

.

.

.

Sleeping Beauty

"Master Gray, you can remove the towel now."

Yanking the stained towel away from his bare back, Gray tossed the rag to the broken bar counter before sitting down on a short stool. Cracking his neck out of habit from the tense muscles from the wounds on his back, the man rest his elbows on his knees to give the scrawny, aloof-looking man access to his back from Sol's rocks.

"My, my, what happened tonight, Master Gray?" the man asked casually to make small talk with the brooding leader, who rolled his eyes and propped his chin on his palm boredly. "The TV said that there was an explosion from the building, but I thought Sol was instructed to have the building cave in?"

"Apparently Sol isn't the only one who know how to handle earth material," Gray said stiffly. "Someone was able to transmit the cave-in to the opposite to reduce the chance of casualties."

Of course Gray would have forgotten that Jellal was a talented Mage to begin with, being able to produce amounts of skill in different elements a single Mage can handle at one time. Although he was more popular with his dark magic abilities, hence giving him his reputation in his criminal days, he was able to control some amounts of wind, fire and more mentally challenging abilities. In his thoughts, Gray found quite impressive for the man to obey his wife's command and practically save people in such a short time.

The TV playing in the background was the news channel, reporting of the explosion that occurred at a private party near the border of Akane; saying that no deaths being reported, only to have minor injuries thanks to the fact that it was all Mages attending the private gathering. Gray registered the host of the party stating that it was nowhere related to the attacks taking part in Fiore City and it was an accident with the electrical system with the gas.

More or less, the stupid Humans would easily buy that excuse.

No mention of the small fighting that occurred between Gray's men and the partygoers was on the report, making Gray assume that the council were doing their best to keep the citizens of the country of Fiore out of hysteria.

Gray watched with a blank expression as two muscular men with ruined costumes and messy faces as they dragged in a familiar figure of a woman into the poorly lit bar they took over for their hideout, her head wrapped with a torn shirt, shielding her eyes. The man behind him began tending to the wounds on his back with alcohol and paper towels; having such a high tolerance for getting his cuts taken cared of, Gray sat boredly on the stool as the two men snickered in delight.

"Master, we got her on the way outta there," one of them chuckled in delight as he pulled the dirty shirt off of the woman's head, revealing Juvia looked around with wide eyes. "It took us a bit to properly catch her, but we got her!"

"She's a squirmy one!" the other grinned as he yanked on her arm, making her whimper. "Where do ya want her?"

Gray looked Juvia over once before rolling his eyes closed. "You two are morons."

Both of the men looked at each other, frowning, looking to the captive woman and back to Gray. They watched as Gray snapped to the assistant tending to his cuts to apply more alcohol to clean all the dirt out properly. "What do you mean..? She matches the photos from the newspaper and all."

"It's not her, you _idiots_. You were tricked."

"How in the hell -?" one of the men stiffened, looking back down to the woman before she perked into the childish giggle at him. "What the?"

"Gemini," Gray grumbled in annoyance, waving his hands for the two goons to take a step back.

The woman snapped her eyes to Gray, growing a half-teasing and amused smile on her lips as she pressed the tips of her fingers to her lips when the grunts let her go. "_Piri-piri!" _the fake-Juvia grinned cutely before posing with her sudden freedom by curling her hands under chin. "_Piri-piri!"_

A sudden sparkle emerged around her before she transformed into Gemini, two bubble, cute-looking creatures that resembled chibi bugs in shades of blue. Both wore little pants and had black belts across their chests, bopping their fingerless paws together before disappearing all together in the sparkles fading away. Gray watched with an unimpressed look before glaring darkly to the two men who stiffened.

"That was Gemini," Gray grouched darkly. "One of the spirits a celestial Mage can summon. They are able to copy a person's appearance…"

"Ah..! H-how did you know it wasn't -?"

"That's because I'm not an idiot, like all of you," Gray snapped at the two men, making them cower a bit as the other servant tending to the injuries stiffen before going back to finishing taping the cuts closed and putting gauze on the deeper gashes. "She wouldn't have allowed herself to get caught and have you still able to walk, if it was really her. Consider yourselves lucky."

"You should consider yourself lucky, Gray. You look like absolute shit!"

Inside Gray's chest, he felt his heart stop for a few beats as he looked behind his shoulder to the familiar shadows of two people he really hoped to never see again. His lip twitching in such a tempted snarl, Gray rolled his eyes closed and bent his head back, the man helping dressing his wounds perked at the sudden move but nonetheless continued with his task.

The woman with dark skin and pure white hair smiled seductively as she pinched a lock of her hair. Pressing her arms against her strapless-topped breasts, she walked in her heels and circled Gray and the other men. Gray remained emotionless while the man tending to his back bit his lip and the other two men shriveled. "We're not going to have a problem with the critters, are we? Germany, or whatever it's called."

"Gemini," Gray corrected in a blunt voice. "And probably not, if those two covered the head before bringing her here. Gemini can't track where we are if they couldn't see."

"Then I guess we can't kill them," Briar sighed sadly, the two goons yelping before taking off out of the room. "Way to take the fun out of it, Gray."

"What are you two doing here?" Gray growled at her, making her smirk delightfully at his attitude. "The news couldn't have gotten to the scene that fast."

"Master actually sent us after your phone call with him the other night," Briar hummed a chuckle. "Something about how 'damn kid can't be trusted alone. Briar, Jerome! Head out and make sure Gray doesn't fuck up again!' Or something like that, right, Shaggy?"

Her companion, a blond man with an impassive expression on his face leaned against the door they entered from. "He also stated that we're taking control over the operation now. Gray, you're beneath us for the rest of the time."

"Get fucked, Jerome," Gray growled, jumping to his feet. He ignored the zipping pain on his back as the medical man gasped at spilling too much disinfectant from the move. "It wasn't my fault that these morons don't listen for shit!"

"Arlock called us when we came into town," Jerome said coolly, not at all bothered by the other man's choice of words. "If you don't believe me, ask Briar or call Arlock yourself."

"Master is probably not in the best moods right now either," Briar chimed in slowly, shifting her eyes off with a quirk of her lips. "When he saw the breaking news, he sounded like he was having a stroke. That's, what, the tenth time you've exposed us to the public?"

Gray growled before sitting back on his spot. "So where's everyone else?"

"They're on their way, now that you did exactly what Arlock was worried about most," she said. "Since you're kinda banged up as it is, you can take a load off your feet and let us take care of catching the girl, okay? You look like you could use a drink or something."

"I don't need your help."

Jerome tsk-ed under his breath, igniting Gray's anger more. "You're no help. It's a wonder why Arlock trusted you to obtain the water Mage in the first place, actually. You barely listen to anyone as it is, I had my doubts that you would mess this up the moment you got the job."

Briar was already helping herself to whatever she could find at the bar, her laughter stinging Gray's ears in annoyance. "I wanted to place a bet with Shaggy how long it was going to take for you to fuck it up, but you know how he is. I would've won anyway!"

Gray tuned out the noise around him, focusing on the man stitching a couple cuts up with the first aid kit. Closing his eyes, Gray thought over everything he conjured in the last few months and tried rewriting whatever he could in his head; his migraine becoming worse as he struggled to think properly as images of Juvia's crying face came to view, how he held her face so delicately and easily calmed her sobs down.

Her skin was as soft as he remembered, and still warm. He missed the touch of Juvia's skin and being within reach of her. How badly Gray wanted to go search for her and do it again, the man remained in his spot as he watched two more nightmares entering his life as of right now…

And it wasn't going to end well, as far as Gray knew.

His plan wasn't going to work.

=xxx=

Lucy noticed her key satchel vibrating against the coffee table in the hotel room, making her glance back to the blue haired woman she was assessing in the small loft chair. Cana was on the other side, holding Juvia's stiff hand that was constricting her and Lucy's other hand, unmoving and unresponsive.

"Juvia-chan," Lucy whispered delicately as she carefully brushed her free hand to Juvia's hair, tucking a lock behind her ear. "Gemini is calling, Juvia-chan. Let me go see what they have to say, hm?"

It took the water Mage a moment to drop Lucy's hand and grip the armrest of the chair. Lucy observed Juvia's blank face carefully, seeing how empty and hard her eyes looked and how dirt smudged her pale skin. The dress she wore to the ball was torn and shredded, half of the skirt was practically missing and she lacked her shoes. Being found on their way of escaping the heat of the battle, Lucy recalled how Juvia locked eyes of Lucy, Cana and Jellal's appearance, she suddenly collapsed to her knees and shut down.

It was rather difficult to move Juvia, trying to get her to come to her senses up until Cana lifted Juvia into her arms and continued on to safety. Jellal had obtained a possible broken rib and dislocated shoulder from the blast he created, so Lucy helped him maintain speed until they managed to reach the outside of town where their hotel was at. Having left a couple of her cards inside the hotel room, Cana transported everyone one-by-one, first settling Juvia in her spot and return for Jellal and then Lucy.

Jellal was now laying on the couch, taking easy breaths as he processed the way to bring his arm back into the socket. Cana tried to usher Juvia to undress or go to the bedroom to try and relax, but the unresponsive woman stayed put, prompting her to stay by her little sibling's side and hold her hand. Lucy did the same, knowing Jellal would rather handle himself in the absence of his wife and let Juvia grab her other hand.

Picking up her satchel, Lucy fished out Gemini's key and summoned her energy to the item, letting a faint sparkle emerge on the coffee table and have two creatures appear in a standing salute.

"Gemini," Lucy greeted with an easy exhale, pressing a hand to her chest in relief. "I was wondering if you two got caught or something."

"We did!" Gemi chirped with a raise of his paw.

Lucy paled and both Cana and Jellal snapped their heads their way. "What?"

Mini nodded beside her twin. "We served as Juvia's decoy, as you asked, Lucy."

"But then, these two men threw a shirt over our head and hauled us away somewhere!" Gemi exclaimed, twirling around while Mini mimicked. "They took us to Gray's hideout, we think, but we don't know where."

"Gray recognized us and blew our cover, otherwise we would have processed where we could have been," Mini apologized with a sad tilt of her head, having her brother do the same in the opposite way. "We're sorry, Lucy. We tried our best to do as you wished, but we weren't willing to remain once we were discovered."

"N-no, it's okay," Lucy waved her hands. "I'm just happy you're both safe."

"And Juvia?" Gemini said in unision, bending to the side to glance at the woman they copied sitting in the chair. "We sensed intense remorse when we reunited with Juvia's form…"

Lucy blinked at the claim her spirits said, glancing to Juvia before crouching down to their small height on the table. Offering a small smile, the blonde woman rest her palms on top of their heads, petting them until they straightened back up. "We think she's in shock, but don't worry… Thank you two so much for helping Juvia out."

Gemini bowed to Lucy. "_Piri-piri!"_

Lucy dismissed her spirits with the key, setting her bag on the table before looking back to Juvia, who still remained still throughout the whole conversation. Cana met Lucy's worried eyes and shook her head slowly before standing up a bit to lean against the armrest, her hand never leaving Juvia's vice grip. Cana carefully used her other hand to curl around the blue haired woman's head and lead her to her chest, bending down to press a gentle kiss atop of her ruined hair. Cana tucked Juvia's face against her and carefully rocked the mute woman as Jellal carefully sat up on the couch.

"Juvia," Jellal spoke in a low, yet gentle voice, "don't start blaming yourself for this, okay? You didn't do anything wrong."

"Yeah. Gray somehow got into the party," Lucy chipped in, trying to get Juvia to look her way by leaning to the side and offering a soft smile. "You're safe now and that's all that matters. Natsu and everyone else will be back here after they clear things up with Toma and Master, okay? How are you feeling?"

Juvia didn't move a single muscle against Cana's warmth, having the brunette stroke her hair and press another kiss to her head. "Wanna go to bed, baby girl? Get you out of that mess and just sleep in our underwear, like we used to whenever we played in the snow," Cana offered with a wet smile. "Remember that, Lucy?"

Lucy blushed a little bit at the old memory of sharing a bed with all her sisters in the Fairy Tail home after spending all day in the snow and soaking their clothes. Granted, they were kids and spent the time in Erza and Mirajane's room watching movies and eating hot treats, but it certainly felt like a good idea at the moment…

"Everything is going to be okay, Juvia-chan," Lucy said sincerely, her brown eyes soft to the two women. "I highly doubt there was any serious damage to anyone."

Fairy Tail were very much used to injuries such as dislocated limbs and broken bones. This was like a pinprick to what other injuries they could obtain back in the day as a Guild Mage, and all of them knew that as well. Jellal was still practically himself as he looked up a online video of how to properly bring his arm back into place on his phone, all while humming to himself.

And Lucy knew too that her darling (doofus) husband would make it back, along with Erza, Gajeel and probably Makarov and Silver, if they felt like it. Obviously, Silver would come and check up on his darling daughter-chan after the attack, so it may prove to be helpful to get Juvia out of this hypnotic funk she's stuck in.

As if on cue, the hotel door unlocked and her faithful and extremely destroyed husband walked through the door with the biggest smile on his face. His suit was completely dirty and torn in all places, barely having anything covering his decency below the waist; the sleeves of his pants were gone and his jacket was missing. His dress shirt looked to have been set on fire, let alone he didn't have his shoes on either with Happy sprawled at the top of his head. Gajeel did look a little worse for wear, but he only managed a few tears in his suit, saved for the explosion dust all over him…

Erza looked perfectly fine in her dress, due to her (fortunate) power of changing her outfits into metal armor.

"I haven't fought like that since I was a teenager," Natsu laughed brightly as he rubbed under his nose. "Man, y'all should've been there and seen...me…"

The encounter of Lucy's furious face made him fall silent, seeing his boiling wife cracking her knuckles and brow twitching. Swallowing, Natsu hid behind Erza who remained unfazed by the married couple's reunion; seeing Cana and Juvia a bit further back before looking behind her and beckoned with her hand for Silver and Lyon to enter the luxurious room.

The redhead woman then went over to her husband and began assisting him with his wounds with tenderness and a kiss to his tattooed brow, quietly conversing what happened. Silver made a beeline over to the chair and got to his knees in front of Juvia, his large hands grasping her hand on the armrest while Lyon remained at a distance. The men weren't in the best shape with their attire, but didn't look to be bleeding anywhere as Gajeel yawned and went to the couch. Gajeel ignored Natsu's mute plea for assistance as his wife reached to shake and rattle him by the remains of his shirt and yank his ears.

"Hey angelface," Silver said softly as he tried to meet Juvia's downcast eyes. "Are you okay?"

"She hasn't spoken since we found her on the way out," Cana explained gently, her hands caressing the top of her 'little sister's' blue hair. "I think she may be in shock from the explosion and the whole situation… She doesn't seem to want to move."

"Juvia's not hurt, is she?" Lyon asked in a small voice, and Juvia visibly shivered in Cana's arms.

The brunette Mage looked down and back to the white haired man, snapping her fingers to get him to come closer. "I think she's responding to you, sparky," she said in small praise, carefully slipping to her feet while keeping Juvia's head resting against her side. Once Lyon came closer, his eyes still watching Juvia with a concerned expression, Cana patted his dusty shoulder to get him to bend a little bit. "Talk to her."

Lyon looked at her with confusion, his brows furrowing and she sighed. "Whenever someone is in shock or shuts down, there is usually someone or something that can get them to come back to reality. Apparently she is responding to your voice, so," she smacked his shoulder a bit harder, "start talking to my baby. Don't give me a look, we've been through shit like this plenty of times, okay? We know what we're doing."

"She's right, boy," Silver told Lyon with a nod. "Guild Mages are pretty good with figuring out what our family needs in time of shock or anxiety. It's best to listen."

Lyon blinked a few times before crouching down to Silver's level to the seated woman and Cana took a step away and offered Juvia's hand to him. With both of his own, Lyon carefully had Juvia's still wrist and hand into his palms, instantly feeling her tense up more by the physical contact. He kept his gaze on her, determined yet cautious.

"Juvia, it's me," he said in a hushed voice. His thumb carefully rubbed the knuckles of her hand and the other on her torn lace gloves. "It's Lyon, Juvia…"

A tiny whimper escaped Juvia's numb lips, her shoulders shaking a bit as she slowly raised her chin a little. Lyon exhaled a relieved sigh as he got closer to her, his hand reaching higher on her arm until it rest on her trembling shoulder, warm and gentle.

"Can you hear me, Juvia?" he asked her softly and she nodded. Silver smiled in relief and held her hand a bit tighter as Lyon felt pride swell in his chest for her development. Seeing her eyes swell with a thick layer of tears, he reached up and cupped her cheek tenderly, his finger catching a falling tear.

"Just relax, Juvia. I won't let anyone hurt you," he said honestly, his voice filled with affectionate emotions and a deep promise.

_Just relax, Juvia._

Juvia's whole body snapped in alert. The silky voice of Gray Fullbuster echoed in her ear as she recalled the details of his black mark on his strong face; his jaw clenched from the attack he took that was meant for her to be taken captive, his bloody eyes looking to adoringly at her and even the smell of dirt and the familiar scent of _Gray _that overwhelmed her so much.

_I want to keep you safe._

His face so close to hers that she couldn't remember what his lips felt like against her own, or how warm his hands were holding her face and cradling her head. His voice made her weak, like she wanted to dig her feet into the ground to keep from the idea of running away from him as he rested his forehead against hers and brushed noses.

Oh God, she always loved it when he wanted to be close as possible to her.

Pulling her hands out of either men's hold, she looked to her palms with wide eyes of horror as her digits shook. Silver and Lyon stole a glance to each other before the older man got up to give the other space to be right in front of her, the white haired man then reached to hold her face in his hands.

Juvia looked up to Lyon's face with tears falling like raindrops and onto her ruined bodice and skirt. "Don't cry, Juvia. You're okay now," he told her seriously. "I'm right here. I'm _right here _for you and only _you_, Juvia."

The memory of how Juvia herself wanted to stay in place with Gray, her tears staining her face as he closed his eyes and descended his lips to enclose to hers. His warm hands and warm breath on her skin made her melt, and she closed her eyes, completely ready to receive the kiss.

_You're mine._

She wanted Gray Fullbuster to kiss her. Juvia didn't want anything more than to have Gray hold her the way she loved and spoke to her in that voice that formed goosebumps on her skin; she wanted to reach up and tangle her fingers in his hair and feel _all of him against her, _and never stop it even after she ran out of breath.

**Juvia wanted Gray to kiss her.**

Out of realization of her memories and current thoughts, Juvia let out a frightened cry as she reached forward to Lyon, her hands gripping his stained suit as she practically tackled him and hid her face into his neck. Lyon was a bit taken aback by the sudden action, but his arms instantly wrapped around the crying woman and held on to her like she was a lifeline.

_I love you._

"I'm sorry!" she sobbed loudly into his coat. "I'm sorry, I'm _sorry! I'm so sorry, Lyon!" _she wailed helplessly against him, trying to force herself to stick against him and never let go.

Despite the surprise, Lyon was quick to regain his train of thought and resume his gentle voice. Pressing his lips against her ear, he held her delicately and did whatever he could to make her feel small. "It's okay, Juvia…"

"I'm sorry!" Juvia cried.

Lyon hugged her close as he would without hurting her. "I forgive you, Juvia."

No. No, he doesn't forgive her.

He _couldn't _forgive her as she processed his honest words, because she doesn't forgive herself in the first place. She hated herself so much for her weakness that she couldn't stand it.

She would say she was sorry all she wanted, but she still deeply wanted to go back and kiss Gray Fullbuster.

.

.

.

=xxx=

AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE - This is kinda a short chapter, not to spoil too much on what's coming up, but I think this chapter is kinda like a filler-ish of what happened on both sides around the same time?

Please, please Review, Follow, Favorite or just enjoy your day. I'm sorry this is so late, but working 12 hours nearly every day can be draining to say the least. I love you all!


	16. Chapter 16

WHEN YOU CRAVE PANCAKES YET THERE IS NONE IN YOUR HOME.

Where's my alcohol?

Remember to Review, Follow, Favorite or just make yourself happy today! I love you all very much and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

=xxx=

.

.

.

Sleeping Beauty

Juvia rubbed under her eyes with both of her hands before tucking the collar of the bathrobe tighter around her as she sat up on the bed she shared with Cana with Gajeel on the other side of her. Having given up his hotel bed for Silver to crash, Cana remained composed enough to share some space with the metal Mage and wedge Juvia between them once they managed to settle down for bed.

After her hysteric crying and clinging to her boss, Juvia was escorted by Erza and Lucy to the small bathroom. Crammed in the small bathroom, Erza was able to get Juvia and Lucy out of their ruined dresses and scrub all the dirt and grime off of their skin and rinse out their hair with cold water and the small bottle of soap given by the hotel. Erza found the complimentary bathrobes on the shelves and dressed the two younger women.

While combing her hair out, Lucy found Juvia's butterfly pin. It had a small chip taken out from the wings but it still remained intact and still sparkled after it was rinsed out in the sink. Lucy smiled to the exhausted Juvia and suggested that it must have been a good luck charm for her, then carefully tucked it atop of the smaller towels on the sink to be found the next day for her.

Feeling her aching muscles starting to rebuild after using cold water on her skin, Juvia quietly asked them if they would get her into the bedroom without being disturbed by Lyon or Silver's worry. She felt too tired and embarrassed to face them and wanted to go back to sleep without being questioned; it was easy for the redhead to keep the rest of the people away as Lucy brought her to the bedroom, letting her enter and whisper a quiet goodnight.

Cana came in after she cleaned up while Juvia laid down in the bed, probably in her underwear as she barely overheard Lyon's uncomfortable voice and Gajeel bickering with the brunette. Fortunately, Cana slipped into the room silently and got in her spot by Juvia, carefully curling around her and held her close without saying a word, just cuddling Juvia and keeping her feel close to someone. Gajeel came in with Silver later and as Cana was about to fall asleep and granted Gajeel permission to have the other side of the bed.

"_The feeling of being close to someone really helps my baby," _Cana said quietly when Gajeel hesitated to taking the remaining space. "_Although, I think Lisanna or Mirajane would be a better choice, but you'll do for tonight. Just don't crush her."_

Waking up at what Juvia guessed to be at early morning, she did feel a bit better by sleeping between people helped her feel secured and close to her family members. Rolling her neck carefully, Juvia carefully lifted Cana's arm off of her so that she may slip out without waking her up. However, Cana has been known to being a light sleeper when she doesn't drink before bed.

"What's wrong, babe..?" Cana slurred quietly. "You okay?"

"Juvia's hungry," she whispered back with an uneasy smile. "Sorry for waking you, Cana-nee."

"Nah, don't worry," she shook her head and readied herself to get up from bed. "Do ya need me to go with you? You're feeling okay to get up?"

Juvia nodded while biting her bottom lip lightly. "Yeah, Juvia can handle it, Cana-nee. Go back to sleep, Juvia will be back after eating some toast or something."

Cana sighed with a sweet, sleepy smile, reaching up with the arm that held her while sleeping to pull her head down a bit to press a sisterly kiss on the top of her head. "Come and get me if you need me, babe. Don't take _too long _or I'll probably end up hugging that peasant over there."

Juvia nodded and carefully climbed out of bed, avoiding bumping into a snoring Gajeel and sneaking out of the bedroom without making too much noise. The main room of the hotel room was barely lit, the sunlight from the balcony in a yellow-orange hue made it warm looking inside the room as she carefully walked into the connected kitchen and searched the cabinets for the bag of bread. Finding it with Happy's numerous boxes of fish crackers, Juvia pulled out two slices and popped them into the toaster.

Rubbing her cheek, hoping no remnants of her tears stuck to her face. Her throat was still a little bit dry and her sinus felt a bit sore from crying so much, but it is nothing water can't help with to make it all go away.

"Juvia?"

Turning around, Juvia jumped lightly at the sight of a waking Lyon coming into the kitchen. He only had his dirty dress pants on and his dress shirt unbuttoned to exposed his ripped chest - Juvia nearly forgot that the man was an advocate for working out at E.N.D.'s gym - and his hair messy from sleep. He hissed quietly at the chilling tiles on his bare feet, waking him up more as he looked down and back up to her with an apologetic look.

"I didn't startle you, did I? I heard someone coming in," Lyon yawned and stretched upward.

Juvia shook her head. "Juvia is sorry for waking you, Lyon," she whispered softly, seeing him offer a half-grin her way. "Juvia didn't realize that you were sleeping on the couch, otherwise I would have been much more quieter."

"Bah, it's no big deal. I wasn't really sleeping anyway," he waved it off. "The couches aren't that comfortable anyway."

"If Father-sama didn't kick so much in his sleep, I'm sure the sleeping arrangements would turn out a bit better for you," Juvia suggested. Lyon cringed at the thought and she smiled a little bit. "Not that we would make Lyon share a bed with Father-sama. I don't think either one of you would like that."

"No, thank you," Lyon shook his head. "So, what are you doing up so early, Juvia?"

Juvia glanced to the toaster, seeing it glow inside while baking her bread. "Juvia is a bit hungry, so she wanted to eat something before going back to bed. Cana-nee doesn't want to sleep next to Gajeel-kun directly for long."

"I see," Lyon nodded in understand when she turned back his way. "It's good to see you doing better, Juvia. I'm really glad."

Heat rushed to Juvia's face as she recalled the childish behavior she pulled probably only hours ago, clinging to Lyon and begging for forgiveness from him from something he had no idea what but never questioned it. It truly was the hardest time for Juvia, her mind picturing horrible desires she craved deeply against what she should have been thinking of; and then practically _tackling _Lyon for comfort that she felt like she didn't deserve in the first place.

"Lyon," Juvia called for his attention that he quickly responded to, and it only made her face redden deeper. "J-Juvia wants to apologize...for what happened last night. I shouldn't have lunged at you like that and cried. It wasn't -"

She didn't really get the chance to finish, having Lyon take the remaining steps between them and enveloped her within his embrace. His skin was smooth and his torso was very firm against her hands and exposed skin of her collarbone and face, making her feel a somewhat comforting and pleasantness spreading through her body slowly. She would feel his heartbeat against her as she blinked in confusion and instantly quiet down in his hold.

His breath was warm and it tickled her as he spoke in such a supportive, soothing voice that made her whole body tingle. "You don't _ever _need to apologize to me, Juvia...don't ever worry about that."

A hand tangled in her loose, sleep-wrecked hair, cradling her head closer to his naked shoulder. "I've never worked in a Guild before or even trained specifically with my powers. I literally know _nothing _of what you would have gone through in the past, Juvia, but when I saw you on the dancefloor with that man, I just couldn't hold back any longer," he said in a low voice, his arms tensing just the littlest bit around her, but didn't harm her whatsoever. "I know I'm not as smart as everyone else in your family, but I do know that nothing - and I mean _nothing _\- will ever stop me from trying to protect you."

"Lyon," Juvia peeped quietly, her heart hammering in her chest as she closed her eyes sorrowly.

"Seeing you sit on that chair without that usual sparkle you have, even if you weren't in the best of moods, I was scared for you," he confessed to her. "I didn't know what to do or say, but I can't help but feel grateful that everyone else knew what to do."

Juvia held still in his arms for a while, even after her toast popped back and sat there, she allowed him to hold her in his arms like she would fade away. Opening her eyes, Juvia lifted both of her hands up and rest her palms flat against his strong, upper back, returning comfort to him as he exhaled in relief.

"I'm so happy you're alright," he sighed.

"Juvia is too," she said honestly, because she truthfully was happy that she was safe, along with everyone else. Lyon slowly let her go so she would get her toast, eating it completely dry in small bites as she leaned against the counter behind her. He remained standing in the middle of the kitchen patiently. "Lyon doesn't need to stay awake with Juvia, it's okay."

He shook his head. "Just want to make sure you're okay. You had a large rip on your dress last night," he pointed out carefully. "I know you said that you can't get harmed that easily, but something must've scared you to the point you went into shock."

_Yes, because Juvia craved Gray to kiss her before they were interrupted. _

Juvia finished her first slice of toast and swallowed, then taking the other one and began peeling the crust off to eat first. "Juvia has a boulder fall on her leg, so she had to rip her dress to break free," she shrugged casually. "It was originally Erza-nee's dress, but she didn't seem to mind the rip. It was inevitable."

"Can I...ask what happened?"

Juvia paused at tearing her toast apart piece-by-piece to consume. Looking at her small meal for a moment before taking a soft breath, making Lyon tilt his head to the side to her.

"Juvia doesn't want to say. It's too complicated to explain to Lyon," she said casually before eating against, ignoring how Lyon's face expressions to a more worried one. "It's complicated…"

"I can respect that," Lyon sighed. "I won't push you."

"Yet Lyon still wants to know," Juvia waved a finger at him, her lips quirked upward with amusement. Lyon huffed and went a bit pink in the cheeks, looking away from her amused face. "Don't be so stubborn, you're not the only one who feels that way, Lyon."

"I still won't push you to talking, if it makes you upset," Lyon said, looking her way with a serious look in his eye. As if he's trying to send a message to Juvia through unsaid words, Juvia couldn't really decipher it. "I would never do such a thing like that to you, Juvia."

A soft smile emerged on Juvia's lips in reaction to his words. "You're a very sweet man, Lyon. Juvia appreciates you very much in her life."

That didn't seem to be the response he was looking for, opening his mouth to say something else but stopped himself from doing so. Juvia blinked in confusion at this and tilt her head. "What's wrong, Lyon?" she asked him softly.

Lyon shook his head, giving her a sad smile to her with an affectionate look in his eyes. She would begin counting all the times he had given her this look whenever they spoke back at E.N.D., during fun conversations and Juvia begins laughing at something a coworker said. Juvia always considered that they were being close friends.

"Lyon, you know you can tell Juvia anything, right?" she told him in a quiet voice, sudden guilt settling in her gut as she thought about refusing to tell him what happened the night before bothered him. "Juvia has been by Lyon's side since the beginning. Even though Juvia is not entirely ready to tell what happened...it shouldn't mean that Lyon should block Juvia out."

"It's nothing like that, Juvia, I promise you," Lyon straightened instantly, alert.

"Then what is it, Lyon? Did Juvia do something wrong?"

Lyon shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck in nervousness. "Now is not the right time," he excused himself shyly. "In my opinion, not right now...but I will tell you eventually."

Juvia nodded slowly, her tiny smile coming back to him. "Okay, Juvia will be patient as long as Lyon needs, when it's the right time for Lyon to tell."

"You should get back to sleep for a while longer now," Lyon exhaled with his shoulders relaxing. "Considering only speaking a little to your sister - Cana, right? - she would think you've been gone enough."

Nodding, Juvia swallowed the last bit of her toast and approached to pass by Lyon. "I hope you feel a little bit more comfortable on the couch, Lyon. Juvia will see if she can do anything about it later today when everyone is awake."

"Don't worry about it, Juvia," Lyon hushed her with a grin. "If I'm gonna be one of the Guild guys, I gotta get accustomed to working with what I got, right?"

Juvia blinked at him, fairly impressed by his attitude of being surrounded by Guild Mages in the first place. From what Juvia could only guess by what she saw on the TV sometime back and the party when he approached Gray to separate her from him, Lyon was not properly trained to work with his powers. The chunky and sharp bits of his ice and the lack of forming a direct target was evident enough, even using too much of his own power was easily problematic for a solid element such as ice, but Juvia would never blame Lyon for that…

Perhaps Silver would help the man, if Juvia asked and gave her father-figure puppyeyes. Juvia would also take her part in using her own magic to compliment Lyon's habits if she had to.

Smiling to him with sincere praise, Juvia nodded. "You're already acting like a Guild Mage, Lyon. Juvia is proud of you."

"Sweet dreams, Juvia."

The blue haired woman entered back into the bedroom, closing the door softly to leave Lyon back to his secluded area, watching her disappear with a longing gaze. She didn't pay attention to it as she made her way to the bed that contained a restless Cana nudging a snoring Gajeel with her foot, nearly pushing him over the edge until noticing Juvia's presence.

Juvia gave her a look as she crawled back between the two, but not before situating Gajeel so he was back in his comfortable spot without the risk of falling out of bed. When Juvia finished making sure Gajeel was safe enough, she then allowed Cana to coil her arms around her thin waist and pull her face into Cana's breasts, making her peep in surprise before relaxing when Cana nuzzled the top of her head affectionately.

Once Cana fell back into her deep slumber, Juvia let out a soft exhale. As much as Juvia appreciated being held and cuddled by anyone in her family, it wasn't the exact same kind of warmth she yearned for in the past few years.

Frowning, Juvia opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling.

'_He shouldn't count…' _she thought bitterly to herself, as if scolding her own thoughts. '_He shouldn't count for _anything _I need in my life.'_

However, she knew all she was thinking were lies. Memories of how Gray held her face and ignoring his own pain made her chest tighten unwillingly and bite her lip. Why couldn't she had gotten her act together last night and reach up to touch his face? To tangle her fingers in his unruly hair and pull him down to have their mouths mash together in a long, passionate kiss? Screw that earth Mage being there or if her family were fighting other illegal Mages before the cops arrived, Juvia felt something she _needed _when he came to her aid.

That feeling she had felt much worse than when she felt thirsty or slightly dehydrated. It was stronger than her anger when she dashed her way to Sol at the music stage, preparing to slaughter him for attempting to hurt Lyon that night. It was definitely stronger than her act to being stubborn when she and Gray waltzed on the dancefloor, being close that she nearly felt his heartbeat against her own.

'_I still love him…' _she concluded, her eyes closing with utter sadness. '_I still _need _him, and it's wrong for me to feel that way.'_

Trying to erase the bittersweet memory, she tried to think of her recovery that happened afterwards. Remembering hearing Lyon's voice coaxing her out of her hypnotic trance, Juvia's cheeks flushed as she also recalled how muscular her boss was. Granted, Juvia has chatted with her co-workers back in E.N.D. about the main man's physique, just for the fun of it… But they have only seen him with his fancy, expensive dress shirts and tie; perhaps sometimes his strong forearms whenever he would roll his sleeves up during a case, but never half naked.

Remembering Lyon hugging her so delicately yet strong only moments ago, a sudden heat ran throughout her whole body as she realized that she actually _liked _it when Lyon held her like that. It made her feel safe, like he was the shelter to shield her from the world if she were to ask for it; he made her feel cared for by someone she didn't deem as a brother, sister, father or a niece or nephew.

For the past two years Juvia had kindly rejected Lyon's ask for a date after working hours, and he took each rejection with a kind smile and nod of _understanding. _She told him numerous times that she wasn't comfortable with dating, even when other co-workers and clients would ask her a similar question with or without Lyon present. Sometimes Juvia would go and vent to Lyon when they were alone at how much she disliked being given attention she didn't want in the first place, and he always listened to her and gave her the option of him going out and giving other men a piece of his own mind…

While Lyon was the man she rejected more than once on numerous occasions, he never failed to remain at her side for when she needed someone. He was always there when she was having a bad day or even a great day and made it so much better than before. Lyon was a strong man who knew Juvia would hold her own battles (unless you would also count how she saved his ass back at the ball) and respected her space.

When Lyon was comforting Juvia out of shock, she would feel the immense warmth holding on to her hand and how it cupped her cheek so perfectly that she could have melted and refuse to come out of her puddle. Instead, she tackled him and demanded more of that warmth from him like a greedy leech.

And Lyon _let her._

Frowning, Juvia wondered if her actions were really okay to Lyon and didn't come off as a message he read wrongly. Sure, Lyon was so new to being surrounded by rowdy Guildmates and a water Mage in-shock, but she couldn't help but worry that it would have given Lyon the impression that she needed him more than just a supportive boss or friend.

But what if it was somewhat right?

=xxx=

"And then, Chelia-chan and I made really cute drawings for the baby! We're gonna put it on Auntie Levy's fridge so the baby can see it when it comes home from the hospital," the voice of Wendy said proudly through the speaker of Lucy's cellphone, making Lucy and Juvia gush as the child's tone. "Papa, you're gonna love the trick Chelia-chan taught me yesterday! I can make a tiny tornado for me to ride on!"

"That's my girl!" Natsu snickered fondly, nuzzling Lucy's shoulder affectionately as the blonde woman paled at the news. "We're definitely going to try it out when we come home."

"Oh, no you're not!" Lucy gasped, looking at her husband incredulously. "Wendy, you didn't try doing that without an available adult Mage around, did you?"

"Of course not, Mama," Wendy cooed. Lucy, for a moment, relaxed. "Auntie Levy was watching us the whole time!"

"Sweetie, what has Mama said about Auntie Levy? The baby isn't going to let her rush to your aid right away if you needed help," Lucy sighed sorrowly. "Don't do that anymore until we're home, or Chelia-chan's parents are watching, okay? I don't want my little angel getting hurt while I'm away."

"Okay Mama," Wendy obediently responded. Juvia would just imagine the girl with her hair in pigtails nodding with the phone in her hand, even though her mother couldn't see.

Juvia thought the world of Wendy, ever since she first held her as a baby and babysat her while Lucy and Natsu prepared things for their little addition to their family. It never mattered in Fairy Tail if anyone was blood-related or not, since they considered everyone in their Guild as family in general and it was something Juvia oftentimes loved about it - it didn't make her feel alone for the most part. Even when Juvia moved to Fiore City and got herself a place to live alone, she would always look forward to the random calls from anyone in the Guild.

But Juvia definitely felt better listening to her little niece chat with her parents. It was just the cutest thing to watch and listen to after a hard night.

"Are you almost done with your job?" Wendy asked next. "I miss you two a lot, and I want Auntie Juvia to stay with us for a while…" She sounded like she was pouting and Juvia just ached to scoop up the little girl and pepper her face with kisses. Maybe even make her as much plushies she would ever want to make up for the sad voice.

"Almost, honey," Lucy said sweetly, glancing to Juvia for a moment on the bed she shared with her husband in the hotel room. When Natsu said he was going to call his daughter with his wife, Lucy instantly grabbed Juvia and brought her to the privacy of the bedroom they shared with Jellal and Erza. Offering the blue haired woman a smile, Lucy spoke in that rich voice that could make anyone feel weight lifted off their shoulders. "We're gonna talk with Master Makarov and maybe meet with the other Guildmates, but we should be back home sooner than you think. We also got a couple surprises for you too, so make sure you keep being a good girl for Levy-chan, okay?"

Juvia grinned at the delighted gasp that came from the phone, lifting herself from the edge of the bed and making herself scarce in the room. She made a mental note to later call Wendy after she finished school and plan out what kind of tea parties Wendy wanted or where to go shopping and get ice cream.

Leaving the bedroom and silently closing the door, Juvia came into contact with Silver by her side. Slightly startled, Juvia pouted at him and lightly bat at his broad shoulder.

"Father-sama!" she whisper-yelled at him, seeing him snicker devilishly as Juvia ushered him away from the closed door. "Don't startle Juvia like that!"

"Just wanted to see if you would talk to your old man, angelface," Silver hummed as he lifted Juvia by her waist and walked over to the couch. "You aren't very chatty as you usually are, so I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Despite how playful he was being, Juvia knew better at what his real intentions were. Looking straight to his face with no hiccup, she tilt her head and gently pat his scruffy jaw affectionately. "Juvia is fine, Father-sama," she said to him in a gentle voice.

"Doesn't sound convincing," Silver raised his brows.

"It's...going to take a while, yes," Juvia nodded as he placed her down on her feet. "However, Juvia is not in the same place as she was last night. Cana-nee and Erza-nee took special care of Juvia, just like before when it would happen. You really have never seen Juvia go into shock, but Father-sama shouldn't worry so much."

"I worry because I love my daughter-chan," Silver sighed. "You know that."

"Yet Father-sama has never really seen Juvia in shock, right?"

The older man made a low grumbling noise, making Juvia giggle and bend forward. Resting her forehead on his chest, Juvia lightly held on to the material of his shirt with her fingertips. "Juvia will be okay, Father-sama. Never worry for Juvia more than you should."

"Bah, you sound like some wise, old woman with a bunch of cats," Silver whined as he hugged Juvia to him. "When did my darling daughter-chan grow up to be such a smart, confident woman?"

Juvia just laughed, inwardly telling herself that she was anything but confident with herself at this point in her life. It wasn't going to stop her from putting on a strong face though.

Releasing herself from his hold, Juvia reached over on the couch and picked up the hat Erza fished out from her own collection. It was decided after everyone was awake and invited Makarov into the suite that Juvia would be on constant watch by her family until further notice (which, really, wasn't by her choice); including with the plan that Juvia concealed her tattoo and majority of her face, considering that anyone from Gray's company to go looking for Juvia.

Juvia didn't have a say in any of it, and it bothered her a little bit that even Lyon put in his two cents on agreeing with everyone else. She did make sure her family didn't miss the irritation that radiated off from her for the next few hours until Makarov suggested they go to his favorite bar to take it easy.

Rolling her blue waves into a loose bun atop of her head, Juvia was able to tuck it cutely with her butterfly pin. Despite it having a chip in its wing, Juvia couldn't neglect her attention to it since it basically went through hell and back with her, unlike her ever changing wardrobe. In all honesty, Juvia has grown very fond of her birthday gift and wished she took better care of it - even if the small chip was inevitable. Placing the hat ontop of her head, shadowing majority of her face and neck, Juvia checked her thick tied-skirt to make sure it wasn't exposing her left leg, but tied to her right hip instead. She had a thin shawl borrowed from Lucy and Juvia had come to realize that the majority of the big colors she was wearing weren't her usual first pick.

As much as she wasn't a huge fan of wearing pink colors or a ribboned hat, she couldn't resist but think she felt rather cute in the disguise.

The trip to Ryuuzetsu was rather casual, as it should be. Juvia stayed by Silver while Natsu and Lucy behaved like happy lovebirds a few feet ahead of them; everyone wearing hats and specific clothing that they normally wouldn't wear like normal, an old trick to reduce the chances of being found by any search parties Gray could have sent out after the party. The afternoon at the waterpark was relatively busy with both Mages and Humans alike, much to Juvia's joy at seeing them interact peacefully despite last night's news covering a story of a accident at a party building. None of the Mages Juvia saw appeared to be majorly injured or bearing scratches (but, then again, she didn't know who exactly attended last night).

The usual bartender at the tiki vendor greeted them politely, letting the four pass around the corner to the lone door and entering by themselves without warning. Jellal was sitting in a chair with Erza on his lap, cradling a makeshift cast that enveloped from his shoulder to his wrist. Erza was having his head rest on her collarbone and massaging his scalp with her fingertips while she spoke to Makarov. Cana was sharing a bowl of peanuts with Gajeel - bickering, as usual - while Lyon sat near Makarov with crossed arms.

Makarov grinned at the remaining party entering and held up his mug of beer. "It's about time you two arrived, we were wondering if Natsu got his head stuck in the fridge again!"

"Nah-ah, Gramps! We were on the phone with Wendy," Natsu instantly snapped. Juvia always knew her pink haired "brother" hated being blamed for things, even though majority of the time it was true. "Lucy and I wanted to check in on her, you hear!"

"Whatever, you little turd," Makarov rolled his eyes before turning in his spot on the table towards the other three. He smiled much more friendlier to them. "Erza and I were just talking about our next plans. Take a seat and we'll fill you in, okay?

Juvia was instantly pulled by Cana and forced to share the seat with the brunette. Gajeel pat the top of her head and pushed over the bowl of peanuts for her to have while Cana all but snuggled against Juvia's arm. Lucy and Natsu shared the spot next to Cana and Juvia so Silver had enough room to sit in the remaining space.

"We were able to get ahold of the home and Mirajane is expecting to bring as many others from the Guild to meet us at Crocus, where Toma getting his team ready," Makarov spoke casually, making Juvia blink in surprise. "We will lie low for the next few days to let things settle before moving out. I already supplied us tickets to Crocus on private parties, so we won't have much contact on the way over."

"Crocus? Why?" she asked, ignoring how all eyes settled on her. Her voice was a bit high in surprise and disbelief.

"It's obvious that whoever this Guild Gray is a part of now has people underground," Makarov turned serious. "We don't know how big this Guild is or where they would be, so we're taking the precaution of initiating a private red alert to the government."

Juvia's hands on her skirt tightened into fists. "Why a private red alert? Isn't it obvious that they're trying to get everyone's attention? We can't be forming a war under the media's noses, it's just going to cause more trouble."

"Juvia, dear, I understand where you're coming from," Makarov said in response. "However, this is a matter of the good for the world and people's lives. They are obviously targeting us and we can't have innocent lives get involved any more than -."

"It's not _Fairy Tail _they're after, Master! It's _Juvia!" _she interrupted him in a hissing voice. She felt Cana's hold on her slack from around her as her back straightened with built-up irritation. "Why aren't you letting me have a say in this? It's obvious that they want something from Juvia, yet here is everyone trying to keep Juvia in the dark of everything. Don't you think that Juvia knows what's going on?"

"Of course we do, Juvia, that's why we're taking extra precautions," Erza came in, her expression concerned. "We don't know why Gray is after you, but we can't risk your identity being revealed to the media either. Mass of people who are afraid would be more than willing to hunt you down if they found out, dear."

"Then why don't we hunt for them before they do?" Juvia pressed.

"It can't be easy with the way things are right now," Gajeel sighed, crossing his arms. "I read the paper this morning and hate crimes against Mages are starting up in rural areas. Discrimination on family-owned companies are denying service to Mage customers already because of the attacks."

"E.N.D. still hasn't said a word about the ordeal either," Makarov added on. "Since this is technically their line of work, they haven't said the ordeal of what's causing all this paranoia and attacks in 'random spots', right?" Makarov glanced to Lyon who stiffened and turned down his chin. Juvia could make out that he wasn't entirely comfortable about the subject of his company.

"Until we can figure out why you're being specifically targeted, the government wants to be ready for whatever Gray and his team will throw at us," Makarov stated. "Until then, it's best for you to just let us handle this."

"Juvia is _not_ a distressed victim," she stated with narrowed eyes. "Juvia is part of a Guild, too, so she should be included!"

"It's too stressful to put this much on you -!"

"_It's not fucking stressful_!" Juvia snapped, standing on her feet and slamming her hands on the table. Thankfully she didn't step on Cana's bare feet as she stood her ground at her startled family and shocked boss. "Master Makarov didn't train his kids to be emotionally troubled Mages, if you can recall that! Juvia has been through as much as any other Mage in the government's database to stretch around the world, and _stress_ is definitely not considered to be a weakness for a Mage!"

Before anyone would open their mouths, Juvia managed to grow more angry. "If you think for a second that this is just a simple government issue, it's not! Juvia's co-workers have been harmed, her whole _family _is being targeted because of her and is already harmed!" She pointed a finger at Jellal's wrapped arm and Gajeel's scratched face. "It's coming to be this close that more people are going to die the more you shut Juvia out and dress her up to blend in with everyone else! How long is it going to take before you think that Juvia isn't trained to sit on her _fucking ass_ and wait until it's okay?

"Juvia was trained for _years_ to protect and serve for the good of the people, both Humans and Mages," she shouted. "This also counts for Juvia's _brothers _and _sisters, _and I don't plan on being pampered by anyone!"

Ripping herself away from the table, Juvia stormed out of the private room and out of the bar. The hat concealing her angry tears and red face proved to be very helpful as she walked stiffly through the trails and walkways of the park, people laughing and playing around in the water or lounging in the seats as she kept on.

The sun was bright and everything sounded like fun and happiness, yet Juvia was boiling with rage on the inside at how she felt betrayed by her Guild. She wasn't under protection like some file given to Fairy Tail through the government, nor was she a special case that would pop up on a E.N.D. computer for someone to fill out with her history and current state of safety! Juvia Lockser was a proud Mage of the Fairy Tail Guild, the one that would make criminals locked in prison shiver or stiffen at the mention of the Guild's name.

"Juvia-chan!"

She didn't stop at the familiar call of her name, walking at a even pace as she let a pair of kids dodge her with money in their hand to get ice cream. Lucy's familiar, soft hand grasped hers and her shoulder pressing to her back.

"Juvia-chan," Lucy panted, out of breath to catch up with the blue haired woman. "Juvia-chan, please don't walk away like that!"

"Juvia was going back to the hotel," she stated bitterly, still walking before Lucy whirled infront of her and gently held her shoulders

"Listen to me," Lucy pleaded softly, trying to peek under the hat to look at her face. "Juvia-chan, no one is excluding you from this, you hear? We're just making you our priority that you won't get hurt."

"Juvia should be the least of your worries," she responded in a choked voice. Lucy's hands came to slip under the shadow to cup her hot cheeks, thumbs gently wiping away a angry tear like a mother would do to a child. "I'm sick of everyone else getting hurt when it's me they're after."

"I know, I know," Lucy nodded.

"No, you don't," Juvia retorted, looking to Lucy with upset eyes. "This isn't between the government and whoever Gray is working for, if he is. This is about _me, _and he's using the most important people in Juvia's life to distract all of you!"

Lucy made a soft cooing sound as she guided Juvia into a embrace. Juvia willingly took it and buried her face in the familiar blonde hair she has grown up with, hands gripping Lucy's skirt and some of her long hair with angry shakes. "I _do know, _and so does everyone else, Juvia-chan. We know…"

Juvia buried her face deeper into Lucy's neck when she felt her palms press against her tense back. "After what happened...when we found you, nothing has been the same, has it? We all worked hard to try and find answers yet we all broke apart with more questions; you would put yourself into a mission to ensure everyone's safety before your own, and we all but took it greedily and took you for being scarred by what happened.

"You don't know what happened and no one is putting the blame on you for anything, Juvia-chan," Lucy whispered into her ear like a lullaby. "If this wasn't so serious with the media and other people getting hurt, this whole idea would be different. We'd be hunting Gray's ass down and probably have Natsu and Gajeel do a number on him."

Lucy carefully untangled Juvia's arms from her, holding her face again. "You _always _look out for others, Juvia-chan. You put so much weight on your shoulders to make sure everyone else is perfect before even taking a breath. We _know _you're not weak, Juvia-chan, but let us take care of you for once."

Juvia let out an shaking exhale. She was so tired of crying at this point. "You can't let this happen. Juvia can not sit and wait for a miracle."

"You won't be sitting, hell no," Lucy shook her head. "You know how we are; once Makarov turns his head, we're dashing for the hills in determination that even he can't tame. Remember how we were kids and always run off into the woods and Master would actually grow above the trees just to look for us?"

Juvia let out a cracked, wet laugh. "He would never catch all of us before sunset…"

"We're stubborn Mages, Juvia-chan," Lucy declared proudly, wiping her cheeks before letting her go to hold her hands. "While the government scrambles around, we're going to do our own thing and end this fight as fast as we can. You can count on that."

Juvia sighed and sniffed. "I'm just sick of seeing people getting hurt, Lucy-chan. What's going to happen if you get critically hurt? What's going to happen then, all because of Juvia?"

"We will do what we've always done," Lucy grinned brightly. "Put a bandaid on it and keep pushing until we win. It's like you've said, Makarov didn't train Mages to be weak."

Lucy smiled even bigger when Juvia's lips went against her wishes and curled upwards in a tiny smile. Juvia always knew Lucy was the backbone for Natsu and the loving mother to the most darling little girl waiting for them back with Levy, so it was only a matter of Juvia throwing a fit for Lucy to jump in and work her magic. Tangling their fingers together, Lucy quirked her head cutely to her.

"Why don't you come back and we'll relax from here on out today. After this, why don't you and I go pick out some more presents to get for Wendy, hm? And something for Levy to put in the nursery," Lucy suggested. Juvia eventually nodded and allowed Lucy to turn her around with a supportive squeeze of hands.

"Something pink," Juvia said. "The baby is going to be a girl."

"Good thing Gajeel isn't here to yell about that," Lucy snickered. "I don't know why he won't admit that you're most likely right. I know it's a surprise and all, but it might as well that the baby is going to be a Daddy's princess."

"Then Juvia will sock him until he gives up his credit card," Juvia said proudly, making Lucy giggle.

They were about to journey back to the tiki bar when Juvia felt an odd sensation tickle the back of her neck. Halting in her steps, Juvia held still for a moment until she made Lucy feel the resistance of going forward. The blonde woman blinked at the tug of her arm and looked back to her, her eyebrows raising in confusion.

"Juvia-chan?"

"Do you hear that..." Juvia mumbled under her breath, not so much a question.

Lucy's head tilt and she faced the woman once more. "What's wrong, Juvia-chan? I don't hear anything odd."

The water park's audio was the same as it was when Juvia first walked in. Shrills of happy children and teenagers playing around in the water or with aquatic toys; adults conversing on lawn chairs or sipping drinks at the edge of the pool, elderly couples taking photos. It was all normal in the sunny day of spring…

But Juvia would _hear _something was amiss.

It was then a rumbling fall of the wall furthest away from them shattered into dust and the happy noises of the park's attendees turned into horrified screams.

.

.

.

=xxx=

AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE - I'm so excited for the next part. We're finally getting somewhere.

Please Review if you have the chance!


	17. Chapter 17

Transitioning back to my hometown, working fulltime (and overtime), so please bear with me on frequent updates. I'm doing my best!

Don't forget to Review, Follow, Favorite or treat yourself to something nice today! I love you all very much.

=xxx=

.

.

.

Sleeping Beauty

Juvia was quick to pick up a Human toddler from the incoming stampede of frantic tourists coming their way, trying to find the nearest exit out of the indoor swim park. The child wailed for his mother while Juvia used her strong legs to jump over up onto the table and step to the bricks holding up fake palm trees when it toppled over from a frightened man. Juvia was careful to hush the child, who blinked with wet eyes and then his red face into her neck.

The mother was found quickly when the child responded to the cry of his name, and Juvia arrived to the Human just as fast as she could. The mother smothered the toddler with tears of relief, thanking Juvia over and over.

"Follow the staff of the bars to the designated exits," Juvia instructed calmly as she gave the mother a gentle nudge towards the familiar bartender from Makarov's hideout, who was waving people over to follow towards the emergency exits.

Once the mother and a couple of other defenseless goers lessened the capacity of the indoor pool, Juvia reunited herself with Lucy, who pulled out two familiar keys.

"Loke, Aries! Get as many people out of here and protect them from falling debris," Lucy ordered as the familiar redhead spirit and his shy lover glowed to view. Glancing towards Juvia, Lucy's face with twisted in a uneasy expression, as if she was getting ill while her spirits instantly went to work.

"Juvia-chan, how..?" Lucy started until Juvia was quick to yank the blonde out of the way from a falling debris heading her way. Keeping her whole conscience alert, Juvia kept her arms around Lucy's waist as she bounced through the hysteric crowd to a line of Mages trying to escort them.

"Fairy Tail," one of the Mages with a facial tattoo of the Guild noticed Lucy's own mark, "we'll try to assist as many staff members in evacuating the area. It would be best if you follow!"

"Our own Guild is still in here," Lucy stated once Juvia carefully let her go, fishing out another key from her hidden satchel.

"We know who is attacking the area," Juvia announced in a flat voice, startling Lucy at her tone of voice. "Let us handle the violence. There are many Humans here who need tending to, so focus on them."

The Mage nodded at the order from the superior Guild members, turning to spread the word and getting to work as quick as possible into making the evacuation smooth over. Juvia and Lucy stole a glance at each other before using the fake brush of the indoor waterpark to return further into the chaos.

"How is your energy, Lucy-chan?" Juvia asked cautiously as she stopped and helped a man back to his feet and rejoin the crowd.

"I'm able to conjure up to four spirits at a time for fighting," Lucy explained hurriedly as the familiar roar of her husband echoed through the area. "It's been a while, but I feel just fine."

Holding out a key, Juvia recognized the logo and grasped the throat of it with her hand willingly, allowing Lucy to summon using the liquid of her body. Both women halt in their steps as Aquarius emerged in front of them, her scaled tail drenched and her light hair sticking to her bare arms with her vase in her hands.

Aquarius cracked her neck before looking down to the two women. "What's the problem this time that you had to use..!" the spirit stopped upon seeing Juvia. "Oh, Juvia! I didn't realize that it was you!"

"I'm sorry that this isn't in our agreement, Aquarius, but we got trouble," Lucy explained as she pointed upward to a familiar fire sprout and Erza's figure briefly showing in her winged armor wielding a giant sword.

Aquarius' face twisted uncomfortably. "Does this have to do with what Gemini were talking about?" Without waiting for an answer, the spirit sighed and settled her vase on her hip. "Alright, girlie, what do you want me to do?"

"We have two ice Mages and we need better use of water around us," Lucy instructed quickly. "I need you to remove the chlorine chemicals to make it easier for the ice Mages to use the substance for battle."

"You're telling me to remove chemicals and people's piss from the cheap water?" Aquarius glowered dangerously at her. "So that's all I'm useful for after all these years? Helping you fix your plumbing and pool water?"

"Aquarius, we don't have time to argue!" Lucy snapped. "These people are after Juvia, and we need to do whatever it takes to stop them, okay?"

"They're trying to take Juvia?" the spirit blinked at the blue haired Mage. "Explains why Gemini were rambling so much… Fine, but you should have explained it beforehand."

Lucy's eye twitched. "I shouldn't have to -!"

"Hush, woman," Aquarius snipped before raising her tool towards the lazy river that connected to the other pools. "Consider it since it's been forever since I've last seen Juvia, but I also want a piece of whoever is trying to wreck places and hurt so many people. Now, get your ass moving, or I'll have to kick yours first!"

Lucy groaned and allowed Aquarius to start her work, using the case to separate the water from alien chemicals tainting it for ice Mages. Grabbing Juvia's hand and hauling her further in, the two women followed the noises of fighting to the center playground of the water park.

The gaping wreck of the building's wall made it impossible to see the outdoor world with the pile of rocks and dusting smoke blinding the hole. Ruggedly-dressed soldiers climbed over the the rubble and out of the smoke towards the group of Mages on the ground. It was easy to point out the Fairy Tail members, and some voluntary Guilds assisted in the battle to stop the henchmen from making it further into the building or towards escaping tourists.

A lightning Mage wearing a skull mask lunged his way towards the distracted blonde woman, prompting Juvia to jump into the action and tackle the man to the cemented floor. Using her toned arms, Juvia was quick to grasp the man's hair and slam his head against the ground, knocking him out cold and quick as Lucy gasped in shock.

Losing her hat in the process of protecting her companion, Juvia stood up and looked around the area until she recognized Silver conjuring ice from his bare hands. Juvia ripped off her sandals and felt the wet liquid of the dirtied pool with her toes, glancing to Lucy quickly and holding out her hand.

Lucy, looking determined, grabbed her friend's hand and held on tight while the blue haired woman yelled over the battle soundtrack. "Father-sama!"

Silver's head snapped towards Juvia and Lucy as the two women began running towards his way. Realizing his daughter-in-law's expression, Silver clapped his hands together before striking it to the pool water, forcing a sprouting pathway of slick ice. Juvia looped her arms with Lucy's, supporting the blonde's weight with their backs pressed together as she leaned forward to allow the other's legs to swing in the air.

Using the ice pathway above the pool water as track on her bare feet, Juvia used her body to connect with the slick water above it to allow Lucy to kick behind enemy's head with the toe of her shoes, throwing them off balance. At one point, Juvia skated low enough for Lucy to wrap her legs around a masked man's head and switch places, slamming the man's face through the hard ice and then have the blonde stand upon the ice before leaping off with Juvia to Silver's backside.

With Silver tossing a enemy over the fake frees, Lucy announced to Juvia that Aquarius had successfully returned to her key and the water was now available for ice Mages to use. "Tell Aquarius I owe her a few drinks and a nice dinner," he smirked devilishly at the announcement.

"Father-sama, you know Aquarius is taken," Juvia teased naughtily as she swung her arm across, striking another masked man with a pillar of water to the furthest wall. "She'll definitely take it the wrong way and will try to kill you."

"Well, she likes you, so I'll have you protect me, daughter-chan!" Silver laughed as Juvia conjured a wave at a lineup of armed men and Silver froze them all in place with her help.

"Lucy!" Natsu called as he landed near them, practically landing on top of a unconscious enemy on the poolside. His wife instantly went over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, letting him carry her off when Juvia and Silver began working together.

"Where is Lyon, Father-sama?" Juvia asked quickly, only for Silver to point ahead to see Makarov and Lyon with their backs together and defending each other from being bit closer to the playground. The elderly man made his arms enlarge enough to practically crush anyone who posed threatening.

"We're not addressing you by your name, angelface," Silver told her in a low voice. "They've been demanding for you since they got in. Makarov wants us to drive them out and catch whoever is leading this for Toma."

"Have you seen Gray yet?" she asked quickly before seeing a enemy try to sneak behind Cana across the way, splaying her fingers to wrap around the man's neck with water and pull him backwards into the pool.

"No, Natsu and Gajeel can't seem to find his scent or anything," Silver said.

"Then who is leading?"

"Well, we're just going to have to find out, don't we, honey?" Silver chuckled with a familiar spark in his eyes that Juvia knew all too well - usually whenever he and Cana's father, Gildarts, would see each other across the street.

Cracking his neck and knuckles at the same time, Silver grinned menacingly towards the incoming group. "Alright, who wants to have a nice chat with big ol' Silver, huh?"

"Be nice, Father-sama. It won't be nice to leave bloodstains all over the place," Juvia reminded him kindly, noticing how some of the men froze at Silver's sudden excitement to break some bones. She couldn't resist but to smile at how he snickered evilly and collected the pool water around his feet to grow ice cold.

"Have fun, Father-sama," Juvia said sweetly as she kissed Silver's scruffy cheek before sliding away for him to have his fun.

Makarov was about to use his **Giant **power more properly with his whole body with the many people trying to overpower him with more elemental magic of earth and trees - only to realize that the palm trees were infact fake. The old man was surprised to see Juvia using a traditional falcon kick with water at her feet to send the men flying.

Lyon's expression was definitely one of a kind to see as well, with Juvia landing gracefully by her Guild's master with a polite smile. The ice Mage had to clear his throat and rub his cheekbones to hide the slight blush that was conjured from Juvia's strength display.

Juvia bowed her head to Makarov, her eyes downcast. "Master, Juvia would like to apologize for her behavior earlier," she said softly. "If you'll accept my apology. I know you were only thinking for the best of all of us."

Makarov only chuckled and patted Juvia's hands gently. "Sweetie, don't worry about it. If anything, you had every right to get irritated with me."

"Would Master be more pleased if Juvia assisted in kicking ass?" Juvia asked with a sweet tone.

"You can actually help this poor boy here," Makarov jabbed a finger on Lyon's rib, making the silver haired man jerk. "He can't seem to tell left from right when it comes to fighting more than two people. Help him so he doesn't hurt himself, will you, my dear?"

"Of course, it would be my pleasure," Juvia nodded as Makarov turned away from the two adults.

"Oh, and please refrain for making your water Magic known," Makarov suggested. "They're looking for _you, _and it would be much easier to keep them unable to find you so easily."

Juvia gave an affirming smile before going to Lyon's side. "Lyon, you better take care of her as well, you hear me?" Makarov warned him. "We have to do whatever it takes to get out of here safely, but stay away from the evacuating people to lessen the chance of violence."

When Juvia made a face, Makarov grinned. "We're not running away, but it's best to lead them away from populated areas, no? Make them think we're running for the hills, sweetheart, you know how to put on a show."

Coming to an understanding, yet still stiff about it, Juvia nodded before catching a glimpse of an incoming goon. Waving her hand sharply between her and Lyon's side, a whip of water wrapped around the man's neck and slammed him underneath the water, hitting his skull on the cemented flooring and having his unconscious body roll to its back.

"Good girl," Makarov praised and glanced to Lyon. "Keep her out of harm's way, you hear?"

"With my life, sir," Lyon declared strongly. Makarov chuckled before disappearing, having his speed catch him to give time for his arms to inflate into giant, hammering fists and send some enemies flying.

"Lyon," Juvia pegged for his attention by grasping his hands with her own, making him blink at the sudden move and go a bit pink in the cheeks. Her smile was confident, yet serious as she noticed another line of guards coming through the debris smoke. "Dance with Juvia for a moment, then we may be able to get out of here in one piece."

"Dance?" Lyon raised his brows, letting Juvia willingly tangle their fingers together and having her lead. Seeing her sway her hips in a distinct way, Lyon's eyes widened. "J-Juvia, what are you -?"

Without explaining, Juvia forced them both to do a whirl move within the pool water, ankle deep. The move pushed Lyon and Juvia's backs together and face towards the gaping area. Having the move dance to a halt with their joined hands pumping at the pile of rubble, a large geyser of water bursting through the cracks and open holes until it reached the height of the original building wall. Forcing herself to concentrate with Lyon's body flow, Juvia was capable of activating Lyon's ice to freeze the wall into a thick shield.

Some bodies of the enemy remained frozen within the ice wall, some had a limb or two trapped on either side and struggled to break free. The remaining ones who were still fighting inside the indoor swim park were stunned for a moment too long, prompting the last of the Fairy Tail and other Guild members to knock them aside, finishing the job of the ruckus.

Relaxing her body, Juvia sighed and leaned her back against Lyon's strong muscles. She felt Lyon stiffen at the contact and she quickly got off from skin contact with him, turning around to see him staring at her in awe.

Blinking, Juvia tilt her head. "Lyon -?"

His strong hands holding her head, Juvia wasn't prepared for Lyon's mouth to press against her forehead tenderly. She felt her heart skip a deep when he lifted her into the air and twirled her around in a tight hug, not at all minding the light spray of water from her toes.

"That was - Oh, my God, Juvia, that was _amazing_!" Lyon laughed over the rising noise of cheers and whoos of victory. Setting her back on her feet, Lyon held her still by holding her shoulders, his eyes full of stars. "What was that, Juvia? I've never seen anything like that before. It was, like - you know, I can't even describe it!"

Juvia's cheeks burned shyly until Gajeel lifted her away from Lyon's close proximity. "There's a lot you don't know about Juvia, huh?" her best friend grumbled as he used a foot to make Lyon step a bit further away. Juvia noticed that Gajeel was soaking wet and looked like an irritated cat. "Juvia knows how to work with bodies, not just her own like other Mages."

"Makarov calls it a Unison Raid," Natsu explained from the distance, somewhat dirty with ash and scratches on his face, but still smiling brightly with his blonde wife by his side. "Juvia is capable of _sharing_ powers with Mages she's fairly close to. You have to have a strong relationship with Juvia to be able to do that right off the bat, especially if it was the first time."

Juvia chuckled shyly and waved her hands. "N-now please, it's not the time to be chatty! We need to get out of here and drive them away, remember?"

"Juvia-chan is right," Silver said seriously, helping a fallen ally from a different Guild up to his feet, swinging his arm around his shoulder. Observing the man's broken leg, Silver's brows knitted together with concern. "Not only we have injured Mages, but we can't waste time lagging around here when whoever could be leading this attack is still outside. It could still be Gray."

"Aries mentioned a exit on the other side of the park that's opposite of the evacuation route, before returning to her key," Lucy mentioned directly towards Makarov. "Both Loke and Aries confirmed that there is police and security outside, but there's a barricade of some sort from this area. No one can get through to whoever is issuing it outside."

"Then we must not waste any more time," Makarov stated firmly. "We'll take the opposite route out and attempt to drive whoever is here away from citizens. Carry any injured Mages and we'll split there for medical attention.

"Natsu, I want you up front with Gajeel," Makarov ordered next, snapping his (normal sized) hands to the two Fairy Tail Mages. "Keep your senses up ahead, in case of a surprise attack."

"Got it," both Gajeel and Natsu nodded, forming their plan to go ahead of where Lucy pointed out the other exit. Natsu gestured Lucy to stay by Juvia's side and his wife complied with a somewhat tired smile.

Erza, helping her husband hold his broken arm in a now-tattered sling, formed back to her regular clothing. "Master, there's some who are bleeding pretty bad. We need to hurry before it gets worse."

"Any poison or torn arteries?" Makarov asked as the formed group began to move, the least injured Mages helping their weaker comrades out to keep up quickly.

"Not that we can find," Erza answered in relief. "It looks like some of the excess blood on the ground doesn't belong to one of ours…"

"Then that is not our concern," the elderly man stated.

A Mage woman with dark hair peeped in, helping another woman with a matching mark of a Guild Juvia barely remembers to stay steady. "Master, we can send out a distress signal to our own Guild once outside. Our **Telepathy **may not send out easily with the atmosphere, but is there anyone we should look for?"

"Toma, the councilman for the Mage department. He should still be near this district."

Juvia felt herself take the longest inhale she could muster, letting her eyes close for a moment as Lucy found Cana pop by her other side and Lyon relaxing. Exhaling, Juvia gazed around as her allies and trusted ones helped one another out; Silver, while carrying a man's weight on one end, helped a Mage woman keep calm from the intense adrenaline rush. The woman looked fairly young to be by herself, noting how a man around her age and a matching Guild tattoo ran to her and embraced her other side and she clung to him.

A gentle tug on her fingers, Juvia glanced up to see Lyon giving her a reassuring half-grin while they exited the shallow pool. Juvia herself didn't hesitate to grab ahold of his hand and give him a soft squeeze.

"Everything is going to be fine," Lyon said softly. Despite his hair messy and a few scratches on his body, Juvia could still make out that confident boss of hers who would lead his team into the courtrooms. "You're all amazing enough to stop this madness in the right time."

Juvia gave a breathy chuckle. "Lyon can be too much sometimes. Take this seriously," she told him before looking to her damp feet leaving imprints on the dirty ground. "It's not over yet, Lyon."

"After what you pulled? It'll be over before I can snap my fingers."

Juvia's lips twisted into a small smile and her heart fluttered again. "You're too much, Lyon…"

His grip on her hand tightened immensely, making Juvia sigh. "Really, please don't think too far ahead, Lyon. It's not like back in court with cases we take, it's much more difficult," she whispered quiet enough for only him to hear. "Just… Juvia doesn't want anyone she cares about to get hurt, and this includes you."

She waited for him to say something, considering how he slowed down in their walk to leave with the group made him halt in his steps. It wasn't any sort of a confession, but taking on the fact that Juvia's Unison Raid worked with Lyon on the first try did say a lot, especially in front of her own family

Sure, Juvia has known Lyon for years, so that much be the reason why it worked so flawlessly? Even so, Juvia didn't want to have Lyon take it the wrong way, especially when he kissed her forehead like that afterwards...she just didn't want him to think differently between them.

But, when he didn't answer her, Juvia felt that he had -

A noise coming from Lucy, Juvia's head shot up to look at her dearest sister-figure to see her falling to her knees, Cana following suited, struggling to keep themselves up by the palms of their hands. A shot of panic up her spine, Juvia took a few steps towards them, only to be held back by the distance of her entwined hands with Lyon.

Lyon eventually stumbled down, yanking Juvia's arm as he wheezed with wide eyes of silent pain. His muscles spasming as he dry heaved horribly.

"L-Lyon?" Juvia gasped as she looked around for help, only to see them fall one-by-one, the same as the next. Lyon's grip on her hand fell as he clutched his hard abdomen, curling to the side as his forehead broke out in cold sweat. "What -!"

"I figured it would have been easy this way," a unfamiliar voice giggled. Juvia's eyes shot up to see Natsu and Gajeel curled on their sides, eyes screwed shut and breathing labored in pain as a petite woman stood over them with her hands behind her back.

She had a short bob hair with a hairband and a black and white dress with stockings and shoes. Her eyes were peculiar, covered with gold and a diamond-like pupil that contracted on and off. Beside her was a set of quadruplets of women with dark mocha skin and pearly hair with revealing attire, each having a different expression. An older gentleman with a bald head, long mustache and a beard in a dark color with a interesting tattoo of kanji; dressed in a traditional robe and sandals. They hung beside the cherry-head girl with an eased body language.

"See, I told you I could pick out the right one, didn't I?" the petite woman said cheerfully, glancing up to Juvia with the brightest smile. "We didn't need to take a picture from the file: blue hair, fair skin and big eyes! Easy to remember."

"It's just sad that we couldn't have a _small _conflict, to make it more worthwhile," one of the women with white sighed sadly, swiping a finger under her eye to clean a tear.

"But now we got the job done!" another cheered brightly, wrapping her strong arms around the sad one, rubbing their cheeks together. "We can go back now and eat some pudding!"

"Will you two put your heads together and focus on the job!" the third one yelled sharply, looking ready to break someone's arm. She raised her foot and stomped on Natsu's side, causing him to grunt in absolute pain and Juvia shrieked.

The petite woman sighed and clapped her hands. "Briar, if you would please, we won't need your assistants out any longer. I believe we have this covered."

"_Who are you!_"

The women halt their bickering to look towards Juvia, who summoned the pool water a ways behind her to rise up in stilled tidal waves. Her teeth bared angrily, irritated tears in her eyes as she felt her heart pound in her chest at the feeling of Lyon and Lucy's body shaking so close to her feet. The quadruplets simultaneously snapped their fingers and quickly morphed together as one form, prompting Juvia to realize that the woman was capable of **Cloning**.

"Now now, _Blueberry_," the white haired woman chided with a wag of her finger, her painted lips puckered teasingly. "Let's not get too frisky in here, or you might get everyone who is on the floor right now coughing up their own organs. Mary is definitely quicker than your power wave back there."

Juvia felt a cold break of sweat as the red headed woman smiled and slowly raised her hands, palms upward.

The screams of her family writhing in pain and crying haunted her, a layer of tears filled her eyes as she dropped down on her knees when Lucy's shaking hand grasped her ankle desperately. Juvia held on to the blonde Mage's shoulders and tried to get her to calm down.

"L-Lucy, Lucy!" Juvia called to her as loud as she could. She reached for Cana's hand when the card Mage rolled to her back, hyperventilating and becoming blurry in her purple eyes. The water she conjured fell and caused a noisy ruckus.

"Stop this! What are you doing?" Juvia screamed at the two strangers. "Stop it!"

"Now, if we stopped, then you wouldn't be so compliant with us!" the woman, Briar, shook her head. "We've had enough trouble trying to get a hold of you for a long while now, so don't think you can order us around so easily. You don't scare us like you do to our henchmen. You've proved that point multiple times with your sassiness."

"I don't _have _to kill them right now," the petite woman smiled sweetly, lowering her palms. The screams and cries ceased to tired heaving and sobbing. "I find more entertainment to play with their intestines and bellies. Screwing around with their heart, lungs or brain can kill them too quickly."

Lucy clawed at Juvia's skirt, her face red and feverish. "J-Juv..ah..!"

"Let's make an easy deal, okay?" Briar hummed with all seriousness and slight mocking towards Juvia. "You don't cause us trouble, Mary won't kill all your colorful friends! But, you gotta be a good girl and come home with us, to make it properly even."

"Where's Gray, huh? What do you want with me?" Juvia yelled at them, readying to stand once Lucy stumbled down and curled into a tight ball. "What do you _want_?"

"The more you stall, the more pain your comrades will be in," another voice sent a shiver up her spine from behind. Juvia spun around and found a tall man with messy blonde hair, a complete expressionless face as he stared down at her. "You know this was coming, so don't try to prolong this more than it needs to be."

When Juvia didn't say anything, he raised his brow just the littlest bit. "Of course, I can see it in your eyes that this is something you've had nightmares about since this all started. Make it easy for all of us, will you?"

A large hand gripped her skirt and Juvia vaguely registered Lyon trying to pull her back down. "Juvia, _no..._" he exhaled deeply, sounding dry and absolutely in pain. "Don't..!"

Mary giggled brightly as she caught Juvia's attention. "Just remember, I have the upper-hand as of right now. And, if you don't comply…" a single raise of her hand directly towards Lyon, who screamed and dropped his hands and forehead on the cement floor. "Well, you know what will happen."

Her heartbeat pounding in her ears, Juvia shut her eyes tightly and tears slipped down her cheeks. She was trying so hard for her voice to remain serious and strong, even if her expression said otherwise. "You need to promise me not to hurt them or kill them. You stop hurting them if I come with you…"

Juvia stared directly at the two women, her face promising deadly consequences if denied. Her voice deep and filled with pent up anger. "_Promise me_!"

Mary smiled and Briar crossed her arms. "Of course, I would never go back on a promise. Especially towards you," Mary said cheerfully. "Come on over here, okay? You don't wanna hang around Jerome, in my opinion. He's a bit of a grouch."

Shakingly, Juvia stood up on her feet, avoiding Lucy's reach and Lyon's call to her as she stiffly made her way. Passing Makarov purging his stomach's content and heaving, Silver's shoulders twitching rapidly as he held his stomach; Gajeel snarled at her, a warning to stay away from them before Briar left Natsu and held the larger Dragon Slayer's head down, shutting him up.

Mary held out a hand kindly to Juvia, who instantly hesitated. "It's okay, you don't need to worry with me. I've always wanted to hold your hand!" she said. "I'll make their pain lessen quickly if you do."

Another layer of tears fell from her eyes as she placed her pale hand on Mary's palm, letting the small woman take proper hold as if they were the best of friends. "Oh, your hands are so soft!" she complimented cheerfully. Glancing to Briar, Mary smiled. "Isn't she lovely, Briar?"

"I suppose. I see why so many people are protective of her," Briar flipped a long strand of her silver hair past her shoulder.

A low, demonic growl rumbled, causing Juvia's whole body to react and turn around to see Silver's body jerk, his neck and shoulders making crackling noises. Her eyes widened as she saw her father-figure's skin bleed black across his arm and around his chest and torso as he forced himself to get on his knees.

His eyes bloody red, the same color that made Juvia remember Gray's current form and his example from a while back, Silver bared sharp teeth as he glared darkly their way. Saliva dripped from the corner of his lips, his normal arm still clutching his stomach, yet he forced himself on his feet.

"Don't you _fuckin' _dare..._touch my daughter_," he grunted and Juvia realized she let a sob slip through her lips. He looked to be in so much pain, yet he took a wobbly step forward. "I'll rip you all apart..!"

"I see he's a Devil Slayer, like Gray-sama, hm?" Mary commented casually. "He's trying to use his other form to counteract my **Virus **powers. How impressive!"

The ink-like stains on Silver's exposed skin grew and Juvia saw a whole different version of Silver Fullbuster as he growled darkly, his hands forming sharp claws and his scars and Guild tattoo disappearing beneath darkness as he lunged towards them -

A long sword pierced through Silver's side and out through his ribs, sprouting blood from the wounds as everything froze in time. Juvia's mind went absolutely blank as she watched Silver's red, beady eyes widen in horror as crimson fell through his lips, contrasting with the pitch black skin his Devil Slayer form took and drip to the cemented flooring.

"F-Fath…" Juvia's voice was airy and so far away, "Father…-sa-sama..?"

Jerome twisted the sword, causing Silver's body to lurch at an odd angle once he yanked the weapon out. The man bluntly dropped to the floor, his breathing labored and coughing up blood as a red pool began to grow underneath him, making Juvia feel her hands and feet become tingly.

"_FATHER-SAMA!" _Juvia screamed like a banshee as she reached for Silver's unmoving body, only to be yanked back by Mary's hold on her hand and Briar wrapping two arms around her shoulders and neck. "_FATHER-SAMA, NO!"_

A cloth was smothered on Juvia's face, covering her nose and mouth as she gasped the chloroform chemicals and became drowsy. As she was slipping into unconsciousness, she could still hear the fading conversation.

"Did you really have to do that in front of her, Jerome?" Mary whined, her hand gripping Juvias' tighter. "Look how upset you made her!"

"You two promised not to hurt anyone," the man answered, his voice still blank. "I, however, promised nothing."

Juvia's mind and body shut down, being picked up by Briar while Mary continued to hold the unconscious woman's hand. Looking at the scene before them, of their fallen soldiers' bodies and the Mages in pain, Briar took a deep breath and began walking away with Juvia in her arms.

"Well, let's go on back, shall we? Mary, you know what to do," she said swiftly as Jerome sheathed his sword and approached the women.

"Of course I do!" Mary chirped cutely as the blonde man grasped both women's' shoulders and teleported away from the indoor water park, breaking off the painful spell on all the Mages to come back to reality and find the bloody mess of Silver Fullbuster left and Juvia Lockser gone without a trace.

.

.

.

=xxx=

AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE - Reviews would be most appreciated, since I love hearing from all of you! This chapter with the fighting scenes didn't turn out as great as I wanted, but I'm still practicing. Hope you enjoyed it!

See you all soon! I love you all.


	18. Chapter 18

This is probably my least favorite chapter, but also I felt like I needed to write it? You guys let me know, okay? I want it to seem too much all at once and confusing to some extent.

Please Review, Follow, Favorite or none of the above! I love hearing from all of you and hope to see you again soon!

=xxx=

.

.

.

Sleeping Beauty

"The restraints aren't too tight, as you requested, but they're still meant to keep her held down."

Juvia's head was pounding, her thoughts swimming through a thick fog as she attempted inhaled as large as she could, trying to breathe in fresh air. It proved a bit difficult with her mind going all over the place, trying to register what was happening. The last images popping in her head were of the battle at the water park, performing a Unison Raid with Lyon to shield off the enemy from the outside, encountering the ringleaders of the attack, and…

Inhaling, she tried to get up from wherever she was, only to come back crashing down with a metallic bang, causing her to cough.

"Oh, she has awaken already!"

Taking a moment to breathe and focus on one thing at a time, Juvia took a few deep breaths and worked to open her eyes first. It was a blurry light that stung her eyes, yet she took the effort to form her pupils to get used to the sudden change; a silhouette suddenly overshadowed her, apparently hovering above her, making it quicker for her to register shapes and colors.

A bald stranger with the thickest eyebrows she has ever seen stared at her with a curious tilt of his head. A mustache and some written scribbles of some sort on his forehead (things were still a little bit too blurry), he didn't look like anything related to the other three she met prior to being taken.

Taken. Father-sama. Lucy, Lyon and everyone.

Her heart pounding faster, Juvia moved her feet just the littlest bit to discover that her ankles and legs were unbound. Moving her wrists and twist her hips made her learn that there were thick restraints holding her still in only those areas...

"Please relax, Juvia-dono," the man stated to her coolly.

"Goumon, I wouldn't recommend being close to her with her legs unbound."

Voice. Juvia knows that voice all too well to let her stay still any longer on whatever the hell she was on.

"It should be fine, Gr -!"

Swinging her leg up, Juvia kicked the back of the man's skull to force him to lean down from the impact. With that Juvia forced herself to sit up as far as she could and headbutt the man as hard as she could with the curve of the top of her skull; the man went flying backwards from the impact and apparently land on the ground, letting Juvia growl at the little sting on her head. Not that she really minded her choices - she's done this plenty of times before to be used to it.

Trying to break free from her confines - using her body to morph into water, anything - looking around frantically until she saw a familiar someone leaning against the wall, watching her with absolute relaxation on his face and red eyes. She let out an angered scream at him before falling back, shutting her eyes as tight as she could once all sorts of painful emotions swept inside her body.

Goumon eventually groaned as he sat up, holding his bleeding muzzle with one of his large hands, using his sleeve to try and soak up the blood. His brows creased in throbbing pain, the bulky man stumbled to his feet and used his other hand to balance himself against the wall. Gray rolled his eyes over to the man with his arms crossed.

"She _kicks_, Goumon," he said casually before snapping his inked fingers towards a dark corner of the room. "Go and clean yourself up."

"A-ah, Gray-dono," Goumon nodded as he fumbled with the latch of the door. Juvia heard a slam of a metal door closing and a stone silence inside the room.

Biting her lip as hard as possible, she worked her hardest to keep any whimpers or cries being heard. Footsteps approached the table she was bound to and she quickly turned her head the other way and curled her legs tightly. Her closed eyes stung with unshed tears as she shook her head against the table.

"Look at me Juvia," Gray ordered in a soft voice, making her shiver in fear. "I'm not going to hurt you, but you got to look at me."

"_No!" _she cried in a cracked voice, a single tear slipping from her shut eyes. Tucking her head down, she tugged as hard as she could to break free from the binds.

"You've been out for six hours," he explained to her. "The chloroform didn't last as long as expected, so they gave you stronger drugs. You're too dehydrated to escape."

"_Go away!" _Juvia sobbed. Her body was shaking in fear and anger, yet she couldn't pick which one to stick with long enough to express it. She wanted to be alone. She wanted to be left alone from everyone who took her away from her family while they withered in pain; she wanted to be back at the hotel - or even Oak Town, hiding in the bathroom and being left alone.

Even better, let Juvia go back to her lonely apartment back in Fiore City, shut away from the rest of the world and no one knew who she really was!

Two large, incredibly warm hands gently cupped her face and carefully turned her head over. Shaking, Juvia's eyes snapped open and was startled by how Gray got on his knees beside the metal bed, leaning down and pressed his forehead carefully against her own.

His voice was gentle as his thumbs tenderly brushed her cheekbones. His eyes soft as he touched his nose against her little one. "I'm right here, Juvia. I'm still your Gray-sama," he told her. "I've always been your Gray-sama, Juvia."

Juvia whole body went numb, focusing more on how she enjoyed more than anything else right now at how Gray held her. Her shakes ceased immensely as she melt in his hold and cried. She was breaking down.

"I'm only yours, Juvia," he said.

Short, sharp shakes of her head prompted him to resume caressing her face carefully, trying to keep her calm. "No, no," her lower lip trembled. "No, _nonono_..! G-Gray _killed..! _Ju-Juvia _hates y-you!"_

"I accept that you hate me, I accept that," Gray told her, brushing her hair out of her face when her eyes spilled unending tears. "I know I've done horrible shit, but I wouldn't have made it out of that nuthouse unless I did. I had to find you first before -!"

"Father-sama!" Juvia shouted over him. She ripped her face out of his gentle hold and began thrashing around, trying to kick and _anything _her abilities could muster to break out. "You killed Father-sama - _this is all your fault! I hate you!"_

Gray watched her for a moment, seeing her tiring herself out after a moment and left panting for breath. Her head was throbbing again and she began to felt cold under her skin, and all she wanted to do was to itch and scratch all over her body to feel _anything _other than this intense fear and anger stitching itself inside her body.

Coughing, Juvia whined when Gray reached for her once more and turned her head to face him again, holding her more firmly this time but not hard enough to bother her. His expression was different, more disturbed and confused.

"What happened?" he demanded in a flat voice. "What happened to Dad?"

Juvia wanted to spit at him, but her throat burned too much to spare the action and she shut her eyes tight. "H-he tried to..! F-Father-sa… He tried to s-stop..! The Devil S-Slayer form didn't -!"

"Juvia, look at me -!"

"_No!_" she attempted to move away from him, but the sudden familiar weight on her stilled her movements. Gray had lifted his leg to pin her down, reducing her kicking and wriggling as he tried to shush her screaming and crying.

A hand on her forehead kept her head still while the other tried to hold her cheek in a comforting manner, his face stern yet more alert. Juvia whimpered as she grew more exhausted and sore all over her body. Her vision was blurry from nausea and breathing labored.

"_Please...please…_" Juvia whispered tiredly. Her head slowly shaking as she stared upward to the dim lighting above her. "Why…"

"This wasn't suppose to happen this way."

Eyes stinging with tears, Juvia dryly swallowed and glanced to Gray. He wasn't looking at her, but he looked hurt, as if someone physically managed to harm him enough to feel pain. It took her a moment, but she realized how the lightning-shaped marks on his face pulled back and dropped to his neck; his red eyes slowly drowned to an old color she remembered seeing years ago and adore so much, and the slightest hint of tears emerging from the corner of his eyes.

Biting his lip hard, Gray contemplated for a moment and shook his head. "I tried," he said. "I tried so hard for _so long_ to reach out to you - to _someone_, and every time I tried to reach you I would get caught again and again to the point I couldn't move for days.

"Not a day went by that I didn't think about you, how I left you all alone. I should have _stayed_ with you the whole time, Juvia," he said through clenched teeth. "If I stayed with you...I bet you would have remembered what I said to you that night. None of this would be happening."

He looked up to her with a sad half-smirk, looking just as tired as she was at the moment. "You don't remember much of that mission, do you, Juvia?"

Gray closed his eyes and bent his head, resting it beside Juvias' own on the cold metal table. His hands fell from her head and Juvia blinked with confusion at Gray's behavior while he lessened his weight on her and fell back with his knees on the ground.

"I'm sorry. I'm _so sorry_, Juvia," he said in a low voice, his shoulders shaking a little as his hands slid off and dropped to the floor. His voice was cracking and Juvia dared herself to turn her head to look at the top of his head. "I tried _so hard_, and it's all _my_ fault…"

"What are you saying?" she hissed through clenched teeth. Her nerves began to tingle more with some kind of familiarity of what he was saying, yet she couldn't make any sense of where it came from - she doesn't understand.

"Nine years." Gray raised his head to reveal his tears and absolutely pained expression, as if exposing days of torture and emotional damage he endured since the last time they saw each other. One of his hands reached to her carefully, his thumb lightly resting under her eye and she suddenly felt her heart hammering against her chest.

_Rocks, lots of rocks. It was so, so dark._

His thumb swept across her cheek bone, sending a comforting warmth through her whole body that she hasn't felt in so long. It was all starting to come together.

_The job Makarov gave us. The job before Juvia woke up on the train._

She remembers now.

_The man with the skeleton mask…_

_How she couldn't move._

_All he said to her before -_

"Keith," Juvia whispered.

Gray held her cheek carefully and, before she could realize it, tears were spilling out of her eyes so easily as she stared at him. It felt like a light switch was flipped on inside, somewhere much deeper than she realized she was capable of having in her body; where all those memories that were stashed away for years and caused her to wake up at night wondering, just wondering…

A forbidden box opened. A chained door was released from its confines. Wild animals that were knocked out were woken up and now roaring with all its power.

Every single detail was coming to her now, from how cool the air was when she and Gray exited the train together for the job, the feeling of her arms wrapped around his as she posed as tourists that day, to the scent of blood in the air as she faced a brutal monster.

"Keith," she said again, much quieter this time, blinking away the built up water in her eyes. "We tried to go to the mountains and…"

A metallic clunk was heard behind Gray, forcing his Devil Slayer marks to crawl across his face once more and change his eyes into the shining red color. Juvia bit her lip hard and tried moving against her restraints again as Gray stood up and turned to face the door, his hand moving from her cheek to her bound wrist in a vice grip.

Jerome entered the dark room and remained in the shadows of the dim light bulb, yet Gray narrowed his eyes at the man at noticing a syringe in his hand. The men stared at each other for a long moment.

"What are you doing in here, Jerome?" Gray asked in a low voice. "Did Goumon send you?"

"I saw him trying to stop his face from bleeding," Jerome said as he looked to Juvia, who's gazed hardened to a tired-yet-stubborn look. "I figured she had awoken and brought something to keep her relaxed...so we don't get anymore 'accidents'."

Jerome's orange eyes then moved to Gray's hand wrapped around Juvia's wrist. A brow raised and a downward twitch of his lip, he lowered the hand holding the shot. "Apparently, you seemed to have calmed her down, haven't you, Gray?"

Gray slowly removed his hand off of Juvia, dropping it down by his side as he tilt his head accusingly at him. "You'd think giving her more drugs would be any better? What're you tryin' to do, kill her with whatever that shit is?"

"Unlike you, I know my way with elements and what the body can and can't take," Jerome told him seriously. "She wouldn't have perished from a small dose like this. Master wants her to remain calm as possible."

"She's too dehydrated for anything else being put into her system," Gray growled with disgust. "I would know, considering I've spent my youth with her."

"Certainly, you do seem _close_. A bit too close," Jerome added staring at Juvia with a hard expression, making her swallow dryly. He closed his eyes in a roll, appearing defeated as he turned around with a shrug. "Don't stay too long in here, or people will get the wrong idea of you, Gray. There is a meeting between us and the lower class within the hour, so don't miss it."

Without another word, Jerome left the room with a more forceful shut with the door, making Juvia shudder at the uncomfortable vibration on the table. Her face felt sore from crying, yet her heart was hammering painfully against her chest when Gray eventually turned around to face her with a worrisome look on his face.

"Why am I here?" Juvia demanded in a cracked voice, seeing how his red eyes dimmed more to a softer light and far more less threatening. "What do y...what do _they_ want?"

Gray slowly shook his head. "From what I can understand...even after all these years being trapped with them, they want you for something."

"_Juvia doesn't know these people_," she confessed sorely feeling her head throb with the sudden images of the last time she saw him all those years ago. Her eyes started to sting once more, and she didn't find the strength to keep her sobs down. "Juvia doesn't know. Juvia doesn't understand why y-you…"

His hand brushed her cheek so carefully that she had to shut her eyes to force herself to keep her cries down. "I know you hate me, Juvia," he whispered gently. "I can accept that from you and understand that you will never forgive me. But, what I had to do and all that I did, was to try and get back to you without getting caught. Those were the only chances I had to try and come back to _you_.

"These people are monsters, Juvia. They've held me prisoner ever since I stayed behind and done horrible things to - not only me - but _so many_ innocent people," he explained seriously. "They tried brainwashing me with all these stories about _you_ that I have no idea where they come up with them."

Juvia glanced at him with utter confusion and fear, and all Gray could do was shake his head and run his hands through his slicked hair. "I-I mean...they say that you belong to them, that you're suppose to take them to great places, or some weird shit. It's all like a bad dream I couldn't wake up from."

He noticed how the blue haired woman appear to have her attention elsewhere, prompting him to watch her mouthing mute words with furrowed brows. "Juvia...Juvia, honey, what are you trying to -?"

"That's what Keith told Juvia before…"

"What?"

She felt tired as she turned her head against the table, her hands clenching weakly. "They tried taking Juvia before, before Juvia lost Gray-sama. Keith tried taking Juvia away, and he said things like that, too."

Before Gray could say anything in response, Juvia shivered with shut eyes. "Juvia...didn't remember anything but being hurt," she said. "The only thing Juvia could remember was Gray-sama carrying Juvia, and then just...j-just waking up and not _remembering_..!

"Juvia remembers _everything_ now," she shuddered.

"Juvia, please look at me."

Shaking her head, she attempted to curl up into a ball but finding her body becoming to difficult to move quickly. Gray knelt down to her level, tucking strands of her blue curls out of her face as he wiped away more tears from her red cheeks. "What's going to happen…"

Gray couldn't do anything but watch her slowly break apart with helpless eyes, unable to stop her tears or her cries. Realizing the passage of time he had before people would come looking for him, he leaned over the metal table and wrapped his arm around her as best as he could, trying his best to not let his own eyes shed tears as well when she turned towards him and hid her face into the juncture of his neck and shoulder.

"Juvia, I have to leave for a while," he whispered into her ear, cradling her head so carefully as he embraced her closer. When he felt her shake her head in a tired panic, he pressed his lips soothingly to her hair and sweetly hushed her. "They're going to look for me if I don't go to the meeting. I'll come back as soon as I can, Juvia."

"No, no, no..!" she sobbed, yanking on her bound wrists and hips, just trying to pull him down. Make him stay, make him stay with her. "Stay with me, _please_..!"

"I'm not leaving you, Juvia. I won't leave you, I promise," he told her, trying to keep her calm. "I will come back as soon as I can. I'm going to keep you safe, Juvia."

He pulled back a bit, holding her face with both hands and looking deep into her bloodshot eyes. "I'm not going to leave you ever again, no matter how much you can't stand me, you understand? I will come back as soon as I can, and I promise I will make things right this time."

It felt like she was losing all feeling when he unwantedly pulled away and laid her down on the table as careful as he could, as if she was the most fragile thing alive. He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs and whispered his promise as she shook her head, trying to reach him.

To her, from all the horrible images and crystal clear memories of her last mission, the time she walked into this nightmare was not when Gray broke into her office. No, she knew better than this now, since it started long before that day she went to work.

This was never Gray's fault to begin with.

Watching him leave the room and carefully closing the heavy door shut, Juvia slowly allowed herself to succumb to the dizzyness and her aching muscle to take over her mind and body. She allowed herself to recall every single detail of that horrific night where she let herself become something more than what she ever thought she was in her life.

The rare moment of when she pieced together her past where something inside just took over, where she wasn't Juvia for a few moments.

Closing her eyes, she attempted to calm herself down to stop the throb in her head, her chest and her limbs ache to where she felt crushed under an invisible pressure she couldn't lift.

Darkness didn't scare her as much as it did before, not when she had to force herself to overpower it with everything she had...or, perhaps, it wasn't _Juvia_ who defeated it when she encountered her enemy once upon a time.

.

.

.

=xxx=

AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE - I struggled with this chapter because it's too short for my liking, and I wasn't too sure how to have Gray and Juvia interact to the point it revealed too little or too much of anything set for the next chapter :v Huhuh, I failed.

Remember to Review, Follow, Favorite or nothing. I will see you guys in the next chapter, and hope you all enjoyed!


	19. Chapter 19

Kinda likin' where this is going -snickers and rolls under the covers- Sorry it's been so long, I've been having lots of things that I have been needing to take care of in my life, so I appreciate you all being so patient. I'm doing my best to get back on track, so please don't give up on me!

Please Review, Follow, Favorite, or have a wonderful day!

=xxx=

.

.

.

Looking over the pile of rocks with round eyes, Juvia took a few steps back and toppled to her rear.

She didn't understand how the rockslide had started. Both her and Gray were keeping themselves in line inside the abandoned mine, not touching anything or tampering with the lost equipment or pillars holding up the rocky walls. It just started all of the sudden, and Gray had reacted fast in time to push Juvia further ahead of the trail, where a overturned box laid for decent protection for her.

After the dust resided and the pebbles rolled, Juvia sprung back to her feet and instantly began panicking for her fiance.

"Gray-sama?" she called out, her breathing quickening. "Gray-sama!"

"I'm right here, Juvia," his voice responded, a bit muffled. Juvia exhaled in relief and tried searching for a window within the rocks. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"Juvia is fine, Gray-sama!" Juvia frowned as she tried to climb on a large rock.

He seemed to notice it, since his voice was quick and direct. "Don't get too close to the rocks, you hear me? I don't want you causing another one and getting hurt!" he snapped. "Do you still see the light at the exit, Juvia?"

Looking over her shoulder, she could see the dim light of the exit a bit away. "Yes…"

"Go out there and wait for me, okay? That's where the break stop is, right?" Gray was obviously looking at the tourist map they took from the police station before coming here. It wasn't Juvia's first time in the area, but she gave him the map to lead them…

Being sent on a S-Class job to the hometown you grew up and lost your parents in, Juvia wasn't entirely expecting Makarov to give the two to search for a mass murderer of so many innocent lives… She couldn't say no, with her knowing majority of all the town's hiding places, it was a good thing that majority of the citizens don't recognize her; even with Gray by her side, it was a simple job that they've done before.

Until a rockslide at a popular tourist stop, Juvia wasn't expecting it. The place was a popular hiking spot during the warmer seasons, but was closed off for the opening of winter, giving Gray that extra boost.

"Gray-sama, this is the only way to the break stop," she shouted over the rocks. "Can you use your ice to get through?"

"If this happened naturally, we don't want to cause a bigger mess, Juvia. Don't worry," he told her. "I'm going to go over the rails and make it over to you. Just wait for me, okay?

"There isn't any evidence of anyone living in the trails, though. This place might as well be crossed off our list." Juvia heard Gray shuffle around, hearing him sigh and swear under his breath. "Just go to the stop and I'll meet you there. I'll be there as soon as I can, then we'll head back to the hotel."

"Is Gray-sama hurt?" she asked seriously. When he didn't respond right away, Juvia made a noise. "You better not hurt yourself anymore on your way over, Gray-sama, or Juvia will kick your ass!"

"I hear you, baby," Gray said. "Get on outta here, you hear? The sooner the better. I'll be right there."

Juvia nodded, despite knowing he couldn't see her, and turned around to the available exit for her. Taking the first step to the tourist marker, a chilling sensation went up her spine and made her freeze for a moment. Staring ahead, Juvia sensed a drastic change in the air of the cave that didn't match up with her gut feeling. It felt as though something was waiting for her on the other side, as if it was waiting to catch her undetected and the rock slide had its purpose along with it.

Something was there, and she still proceeded ready to attack.

.

.

.

Sleeping Beauty

"You've grown to be so _pretty_."

Juvia's blurry eyes snapped open as she heard a voice tickle her ear, making her instantly thrash around when she didn't recognize it to be Gray's or anyone she has met. It didn't help for her body to instantly start growing tired and then limp upon the table, completely out of breath and energy. Her head dizzy, Juvia struggled to breathe properly as she stared dazed to the ceiling, sweat forming on her forehead.

"Last time I saw you, you were only a little baby," the voice continued on. "Less fidgety and more quiet, but still had charm."

Juvia yelled. "Leave me alone!"

Cold hands slithered through her hair and she instantly react negatively, yelling in anger and trying her best to seem a bit threatening. "Don't touch me! I'll fuckin' kill you!"

"Still, so pretty."

Fingers gripped her head rather hard, nails digging into skin as she choked and fell into quiet whimpers. Chanting over and over for the voice to leave her alone, the hands dropped down to her neck, massaging the skin to the point that she shivered and sobbed dryly. Thumbs pressed against her pulse, and the voice seemed to tsk at the discovery as Juvia began hyperventilating.

"Still such a strong pulse," it grumbled in disappointment. "No matter, you've always been a fighter in resisting what you didn't want."

The hand pinched an area on her neck, making her wince weakly as the fingers pinched the pinked skin harder, as if trying to find specific pulse before a needle pricked; Juvia gasped in horror as she kicked, yet the hand kept her head still. Straining herself, Juvia attempted to fight against the hand's strength, yet proved futile as whatever was within the syringe was pushed into her body. She could feel whatever it was seep into her bloodstream, and she cried out at the numbing sensation of the needle prick as the thumb rubbed against it.

"No need to worry for infection, my dear. Your kind wasn't made for such weak reactions," the voice cooed before brushing her oily hair from her damp forehead. "It's just something to help speed things along, dear. Apparently you've made quite a name for yourself and many people are looking for you, from what Briar and Jerome have said…"

A hand gripped her chin a bit too harshly and forced her to look to the side. All she could see was a dim reflection of the light against dark metal that resembled a face, but it was too hard to find specific details as her vision began to leave her. Whining weakly, Juvia closed her eyes and felt her body weight overtake any strength she had left, her head hitting the table. She felt like she could just lie there and let her body fill with wet sand.

"You'll be coming home soon, my dear. And, when that happens, then you can begin your purpose of what you were brought to me for," the voice declared before her eyes rolled closed. She felt cold, but couldn't bring herself to shiver or beg for warmth.

She couldn't do anything, but let darkness take over once again,

=xxx=

Gray Fullbuster walked through the halls of the hideout, his expression blank and dangerous as he passed by the Avatar followers and ignored how they jumped out of his way or slide further to the wall. His stride was dominant and easily angered as he made a sharp turn to the metal door that contained two guards - newbies of the Avatar security unit, he knew, since they flinched at his menacing stare.

"G-Gray-dono, g-greet...greetings," they stuttered as they bowed their heads to him. Gray rolled his eyes when they nearly lost their helmets falling off their heads and waited with a tapping foot impatiently. "Please, feel free to enter, sir!"

Walking through the door when they opened it for him, Gray waited once he took two steps through the threshold for the metal door to close noisily. He waited a few seconds, incase for one of them to call for his return, scanned the room to find it empty of walking occupants before going to the metal table in the middle of the room.

His gaze softened at seeing Juvia lying limp on the metal table, her hands and waist still bound by thick leather straps. Her legs curled against her torn skirt as her breathing was audible of cracks and dehydration; her lips dry and dark circles under her eyes, she didn't even open her eyes to see who entered the warm room.

Slipping his hand under her skull, Gray carefully lifted her head and cradled her as she peeked her eyes open. Gently gripping her chin and propping her mouth open a bit more, Gray pressed his mouth against her own before parting his lips.

The feeling of water spilling on her dry tongue, Juvia whimpered and weakly pushed her head harder against him, drinking as much of the water he held in his mouth. Swallowing desperately of the mouthful given, Juvia's head fell back as she coughed thickly.

Gray wiped away the tiny tears from her eyes with his thumb, then the trail of wetness dripping from the corner of her mouth. Assessing her face carefully, Gray pushed her bangs back and felt her forehead. "They're not allowing water anywhere near the wing, no types of fluids are allowed even close to the hallway where you're at. You look so pale, Juvia…"

"_Tired_," Juvia breathed while resting her head against him when he held her close, relishing in the familiarity of his body.

"Has anyone else been in here?" he asked her carefully, yet his tone was serious.

Juvia tried so hard to think, yet her mind was fuzzy and her muscles ached so much. "Juvia...doesn't..?" she tried to breathe, her eyes closing. "_Ngh_…"

"Shh, it's okay. Don't push yourself," he whispered to her, brushing his fingers against her chapped lips. Conjuring a bit of frost to emerge, he waited to see if she would accept it. When her mouth attempted to open, he allowed her to take two of his finger to stay at the tip of her tongue.

Breathing hard through her nose, her lips enclosed on them, trying to melt the frost into liquid as fast as she could. She was shaking, trying to swallow the littlest bit of water he was trying to give her. Eventually, Juvia got too tired from the activity and groaned, her head falling back. Juvia coughed wetly for a long moment before gasping for breath.

"_It hurts_…" she whimpered quietly as Gray carefully set her back on the table, not wanting to strain her muscles.

"It's gonna be okay, Juvia." Gray carefully ran his hand through her hair, seeing her shake her head tiredly. "It's going to be okay, I swear. I'm going to get you out of here, Juvia…"

"Don't...feel well," she breathed airly, her eyes blurry. "Feel...gross."

"Whatever the hell they're giving you, it's making you sick," he concluded with a sour face. "We need to get you out of here before it's too late, Juvia."

"Move..._no_…" Juvia shook her head and rolled her head to the side, falling into his palm and whimpering. "Can't move…"

"I'll carry you," Gray told her and she winced suddenly, making him freeze. "Juvia? What's wrong? Stay awake, Juvia."

Something bubbled inside her, making her squirm from some kind of intense chill that made her bite her lip hard enough to start bleeding. Juvia felt her mind grow to a pile of mush, blurring like a blizzard as she tried to kick around on the table, all while Gray watched in terror of her struggle and whimpering. It didn't cease up until Gray reached to hold her face gently that she felt better - like the thick cold on her face melted under his touch as he quietly begged her to look at him. Cracking her eyes open, Juvia cried and turned her face into his palm, shivering in fear.

"_What's wrong_?" he whispered to her, rubbing his thumb against her cheek as she begged for more contact.

"I'm scared," Juvia cried, her shoulders tensing again and her face burying harder against his hand. It was weird, like her body was melting, but she felt _so cold_ that it was painful. "I'm so scared, Gray-sama..! Juvia doesn't want you to get taken away again."

"Juvia, _I'm not leaving you_," Gray told her sternly, making her look at him with a serious expression. "The last thing I ever want to do to you is leave you with these freaks, okay? I'm taking you back to everyone, and you're going to be fine."

She shook her head. "Gray-sama, you -"

"I know you hate me and I've done horrible shit to get out of that hellhole, but please believe me when I say that I did what I had to to come back to _you_," he told her. "I'm not going to let these people take you away, you hear me? I'll protect you."

Juvia whimpered and closed her eyes. "Juvia wants to go."

"We're going," he whispered and calmed down her cries. "The guards change every six hours, and all we need to do is wait for the five minute window they give when switching. I just need you to wait for it and I will get you out; we'll get you back to everyone and get whatever that shit is making you feel like this to stop."

"Gray-sama stays too…" she slurred. "With Juvia."

Gray hesitated for a moment.

"Juvia...doesn't hate _Gray-sama_," she whispered tiredly, looking aimlessly at the ceiling. "Juvia missed you. I want you to come _home_ with me…"

Gray's whole body softened and a layer of tears emerged in the corner of his eye. "I know you do, Juvia. You're going to go home soon, I promise."

Carefully, he threaded his fingers through her hair, messed and dirty, he massaged her scalp with the pads of his fingers. "I want you to try and relax, Juvia. I'll get you out of here when the window opens, okay? Close your eyes for me, Juvia."

"Gray-sama stays," she whispered, with a sense a order.

He nodded when she stared at him, waiting for the answer. "Yeah, I'll be right here with you."

Juvia sniffed before slowly closing her eyes, leaning her cheek against his arm as a numbness overtook her body; the last thing she could feel was Gray's warmth on her skin, holding on to it like it was the last piece of her sanity. Gray watched her slowly relax, her breathing regulate to a slower, deeper tempo and the weight of her head against him. His finger continued their gentle caressing, as if trying to keep any bad thoughts away from her while she fell asleep. His gaze softened eventually, as a single tear dropped from his eye and onto the metal table. Leaning forward, slow so he wouldn't disturb her, Gray pressed his mouth against her hairline before resting himself next to her. Gray refused to move, knowing well that he wouldn't be disturbed by the guards outside the door until the time comes for them to switch out.

He just had to wait, then he will be able to get her out of here.

.

.

.

He looked like something coming from one of those slasher films she would watch with her siblings in the middle of the night.

A skeleton mask with a headdress resembling something a mix between a old-school priest or a monster, he finished off the look of the Necromancer with the bulky, heavy cape and the monk staff. To Juvia, the staff wasn't anywhere near his place to keep from a religious view after what he has done. She was disturbed and disgusted, but she was more angry and violent confronting the murderer she and Gray were looking for.

Keith the Necromancer, a masked man who has slaughtered innocent people and families alike, whether Humans or Mages, within the town she spent her early childhood in. She didn't care if she was rejected by the police when her parents died, but there was no way anyone was going to get away with the brutal slaughter of so many innocent people…

She stood in a stance, ready for any attack he was going to throw at her. Juvia waited, alert and vicious as she possibly could to let him know that she was nowhere near ready to fall back in fear. She waited.

And waited…

"You've grown so much," a vibrating voice startled her for a short second. She realized that it was actually Keith speaking. "My, where the time has gone."

Juvia's eyes hardened when he moved from the edge of the cliff, on to the top of the veranda where tourists could eat. "Keith, you are warranted for your crimes of murdering by the government!" she announced loudly, her voice firm and strong.

It was very little of how noticeable the change was within the weather; the sky was getting darker, and the dark fog was starting to grow more dense to the point Juvia couldn't see the faint light of the town anymore. To Juvia, it was evident and she couldn't tell whether or not it was Keith's doing, because she could certainly tell it wasn't herself.

Raising her hands a bit higher, she focused her energy professionally and with expertise. "You are hereby sentenced to death for the murder of innocent Human and Mage men, women, and children! Unable to follow my instructions and I will take you out myself!"

"I know you weren't so big when we were together, but surely you remember _something_." Keith's staff tilt towards him, the mask turned as if observing her curiously. She didn't falter when he chuckled darkly. "It's no matter, though. This won't last long for conversation, being that I'm running on a tight schedule."

A shiver of an uneasy chill up her spine, Juvia crossed her wrists in front, conjuring the condensation against the rocks to come alive and make a grab for him. To restrain him long enough to sense more source of water to save her own liquid she kept under her skin, she sharpened the droplets to make it painful enough for him to restrain of squirming -

Keith disappeared before the water could even touch his clothes, and Juvia's eyes widened when she felt a ice, cold hand slither on her shoulder, seeping through her coat and chilling her right to the bone.

Something within her was starting to emerge...

"Don't fight with me, dear. You know you can't."

_Anger_.

.

.

.

Juvia opened her eyes to the blinding light, and she whined. She didn't have to wait long to feel the comforting warmth of Gray's hand over her restrained one, and she instantly relaxed when she was finally able to see his features once her vision cleared. Her head still throbbed and her throat felt swollen and dry, but she couldn't bring herself to really care much anymore to think about it. It was weird, but all she could really think about was how _empty_ and _cold_ she felt.

Still, she felt calm, as weird as it was.

"Are you okay?" he whispered to her, as if trying to keep any volume low to reduce the ache in her head.

Slouching her head to the side, she looked at him from the corner of her eye. Juvia didn't say anything, but he got the message across and let out a breath. "I'm sorry to wake you, but the guards are going to be switching here in a minute."

As if on cue, a metallic knock echoed from the door - Juvia had to close her eyes to lessen the pressure against it - sparking Gray to get up from his lowered position and open the door a crack. Whispered were heard, but Juvia couldn't give herself to really care when Gray seem to have agreed to something, closed the door and return to her.

What she did care for was Gray's hands undoing the tight clasps on her wrists, then carefully slid each under her clammy neck and limp thighs. With absolute gentleness, Juvia was lifted and leaned against his warm body, cradled in his arms; it felt like she should have free mobility to suddenly cling to him, hug him, kiss him, yet none even came close for her body to respond to her wishes. She couldn't even bring herself to cry tears of joy to be within his arms again.

"I'm sorry. Sorry, sorry," he mumbled under his breath, and Juvia didn't understand what he was apologizing for until she glanced down to see her see her skin stiff, her fingers twitching.

"Doesn't hurt…" she responded, and was mentally surprised how she didn't sound like herself.

Gray held her close, close enough for her to smell his soap and the familiar cologne she remembered him always having on. Her cheek resting against his collarbone as he silently approached the metal door, away from the orange light she has been bothered by for what felt like forever. The only sound Juvia could hear was Gray's breathing, and something from the other side.

When the noise died down, Gray balanced her with one arm and cracked the door open as quietly as possible to see the guards gone.

Juvia closed her eyes and turned her face into his neck, her head throbbing. She tried her best to suppress a cough as Gray slid out of the room and into the cold hallway, making her shiver just the littlest bit as a breeze pushed in. For her, it made Juvia realize how the air was completely different from the stuffy room to the cool, dark hallway that smelled close to a forest.

"Gray-sama," Juvia exhaled quietly as Gray began walking in a quick pace to a thin hallway. There wasn't any lighting like the other, but still gave enough room for him so he didn't need to resituate his hold on her. "Gray-sama, wait…"

"Shit, you're shaking, Juvia," Gray noticed and stopped. Quickly coming to a stop, Gray kneeled down and settled Juvia against the wall for a quick moment to remove his large coat. He wrapped her in the coat and began to try and work the zipper to conceal her from the temperature.

"Gray-sama…" Juvia grumbled stressfully. "Listen to...listen to me."

The dark haired man blinked when Juvia forced herself to reach and cling on to his shirt with curled fingers, her nails digging through and into his skin. He looked to her with a worried expression to see her eyes swelled with unshedding tears and biting her lip rather hard. Frowning, Gray slowly reached for her face with one hand.

"What's wrong? What hurts, Juvia?"

"Juvia knows...why," she sniffled. "Why...I'm here. They know Juvia."

Gray frowned deeper and reached with his other hand, and her tears finally fell from her eyes. Juvia shut her eyes and felt herself breaking down. "Juvia...Juvia isn't…"

"Don't cry, okay? I'm getting you out of here, and we're going to find Makarov and make you feel better," he told her seriously, carefully hushing her as he zipped up the jacket to her chin. "Just hold on to me."

Lifting her back into his arms, Gray glanced behind the way they entered to make sure no one was following. With the absolute silence of them being alone, he held on to her tighter as he sped walked further into the darkness. "There's a way that leads to the lower level with an emergency door," he told her in a whisper, as if trying to ease her silent cries. "We're almost there."

Juvia released a tired breath, her tears still falling as every single detail of her memory came back together like an unfinished puzzle. "Gray-sama, please."

.

.

.

"Can you feel that, sweetheart?

Juvia unleashed an angered scream as she attempted her third-fourth..._fifth_ to use her Water Claw on Keith, just to snag his chest deep enough to make him stop moving so she could _rip his chest open_. His movements were quick, yet he remained so close to her, like he was taunting her, and she hated it. _Hated it, hated it, hated_ -!

"You feel the need to kill me, don't you? I'm a threat to you, and you know it," Keith spoke softly, and she swore he had a smile in his voice. "You can feel something inside you that wants to make a gory mess out of our encounter, but you're also confused." His hand barely made it to touch her chin, as if readying to caress her face with his thumb.

"_Shut up_!" she screamed at him and pulled water from a half-frozen puddle to use as a whip. Her weapon managed to slice through a section of his cloak, and he was distracted long enough for her to wrap the water around his neck and throw him over.

Crushing the veranda into nothing more than splinters, Keith groaned and attempted to pull himself together. Juvia felt her body jerk; her shoulder twisting, making her body turn as a tingling sensation buzzed in the back of her brain; making her shut her eyes and lose control of her whip and fell back into liquid stains on the dry, cold ground.

A growl slipped from her lips before her head snapped back to Keith rising to his feet. He still had a hold of his staff and he fixed his mask to return covering his face properly, looking her way for a brief moment before sighing.

"Juvia, my dear, you must learn to listen to me, if you want to make it easier on yourself," he told her. "You should not try to -."

Keith managed to block Juvia's incoming attack with his staff, either one of her hands in a claw-like pose being held back by the pole. She was radiating anger for no apparent reason at all, she realized within her own thoughts, but she still pressed with an unusual strength that made Keith grimace once she added weight onto the game of opposite tug-of-war. Seething through her clenched teeth, Juvia felt her hands move on their own, gripping Keith's staff and starting to actually crack it…

Icy, tingling feelings wrapped around her throat, waist and her upper thighs, suddenly yanking her back against the rocks and the breath left her lungs. Eyes wide, Juvia looked down in terror to see dark, smoke-like ribbons constricting her skin like snakes. Thrashing, grabbing the one at her throat to pull it away, Juvia whined when it held on tighter before loosening when she became limp.

"Besides the bruises I will wake up to, I see you're stronger than I thought," Keith chuckled sorely as he approached her. "Good to see that my Magic Particles still have an effect on you. That's good."

"_Release me_!" Juvia screamed at him, only to choke when the particles around her neck squeezed again.

"You see, when I was on my search for you, I had to use my Particles to scare them into submission for answers. When I was done, or found nothing I was looking for, well…

"It's lovely to see that it doesn't have a damaging effect on you, unlike with the other victims," he chuckled as he tilt her chin up. "Then again, you and your kind were always recorded to be very _sturdy_."

Pinching a lock of hair, Keith examined the curl through the holes of the mask. "Seeing you grown up, I can't wait until the others see how much you've become so pretty."

"Don't touch me," Juvia warned with a vicious hiss and Keith chuckled.

Releasing the lock of hair, Keith swiped a smudge of dirt off her cheek. "So much like your family, never liking it when people came near them, especially while your mother was pregnant with you."

Juvia couldn't contain the audible exhale of surprise. "What do you -?"

"Your parents, of course, were highly territorial while under my control," Keith spoke rather casual as he took a step back. "It's only natural with the Particles I contain, being that only the strongest of species can survive my power."

"What are you talking about?" Juvia demanded in a low voice.

"Mages that are capable of using water as their prime element were once the most feared and powerful beings walking on this planet, back in history," Keith explained. "They use to help kings rule and take over lands, lords defeat mass armies and even go as far as wiping civilizations with a snap of the finger.

"Your breed were far superior over other Mages, and it got to the point that it was best to keep your kind under wraps and out of the wrong hands," he said as he walked around in a casual stroll. Switching his staff from one hand to the other, Keith spoke as if he was telling about the weather that was darkening the sky. "So, our ancestors summed up the right to create an underground operation to preserve your kind, but it got to the point where water Mages didn't seem to like being taken cared of."

Juvia glanced down quickly to the rope Particles around her waist and legs while Keith was talking, focusing her eyesight to see the smallest opening between the atoms. She knew if she found the right moment for them to line up, she could break her legs free and hit him. "Once they tried making a stand for themselves, we used Magic Particles to keep them at bay. Since only pureblood water Mages could only survive the treatments, it showed us how really special and serious your case is.

"Those who were hard to catch, however, we had to improvise undercover to have them wiped out and kept the once we were able to get a hold of quickly." Keith sighed, as if remembering a memory that brought nostalgia. Juvia felt the Particles shift, lightly squeezing her thighs tight, and she winced just the littlest bit. "Although, that seemed to change once you were being born…"

Keith turned his head and stared at her, and she felt a chilling, unwanting sensation that she didn't particularly like. "Being a pureblood, the most important ability for your kind to have was lost over a century ago. Reasons we will never know, but _you_. Oh, _you_, my dear, were a miracle."

Distant thunder was heard, and Juvia felt frustration skyrocket with the incoming storm. "Juvia doesn't know you. I've never seen you, you _murderous freak_!"

"You were the first water Mage to be born with the ability _to be water _since the ancient times, Juvia," Keith told her. "You are the definition of what it means to be a water Mage: Purification!"

Holding her face with his icy hand, Keith forced her to stare into his empty eyes through the mask, and she say insanity. "While your mother was forming you inside her womb, you were doing your job of cleansing her body for your temple. You drained my Particles inside her body for her to think for herself, and soon your own father. You made them _think,_ Juvia.

"My years of hard work to keep the last water Mages at bay were ruined by an unborn _monster _that was meant to be tamed," Keith bellowed and Juvia shrank back for a moment, her eyes wide. "Cleansing your parents' brains with the formation of you becoming real made them fool us and escape in the middle of the night, disappearing and forcing us to search for you and having to get our hands dirty!"

His nails pinched the skin of her cheeks at his anger. Suddenly, it went laxed and he dropped his hand. "However, that won't be a problem anymore, now that I've done deeper studies about my ancestor's work. It took me _years_, but I've found a better way to keep _you_ under control."

Thunder clapped and the opening in the Particles emerged, all while Keith was mere inches away from her.

She kneed him in the gut and slammed the back of her heel against the side of his skull, forcing him to fall to the side and losing focus of his control on the Particles. The dark matter broke away into fading dust and Juvia pushed herself to grab the back of Keith's coat, lifting him with brute force and slam him against the rock wall he had her pinned to a moment ago. Boiling rage fueled her as she grabbed the back of his head and repeatedly slammed it against the rock, tears forming.

"Stay - Away - Stay - Away!" Juvia shrieked, hearing the face of the mask cracking.

Particles wrapped around her throat and hauled her back, choking her as they slammed her to the ground and landing on the back of her head. Juvia attempted to call out for help before Keith's foot pressed against her stomach, holding her down. The left corner of the mask was cracked and a drizzle of blood leaked through the nosehole, but he was still standing and much more angry.

"I will take back what is mine, you understand?" Keith growled as more Particles formed into hands and grabbed her face. Juvia reached to try and yank them away, but the fingers of the Particles gripped tightly to her forehead and jaw. "Once I get the Particles inside your bloodstream, it will be all over and we will get everything back in place!"

"What are -!" Juvia cried out when Keith used the bottom of his staff - that was sharpened - and stabbed through her shoulder. Her **Water Body** only partially formed with the time given with her senses still somewhat together; she couldn't believe it, her own body didn't react as quickly as it normally did to physical harm! The puncture wound stung, but it wasn't as big as she thought it would be - only for Keith to hit her again below her ribs, her thigh. Each time he stabbed her, Juvia attempted to retaliate and another pair of Particle hands would form and hold her down.

The hands holding her slowly melted around the wounds, a burning sensation erupting in her skin and Juvia screamed and thrashed. Particles clawed at her skin, digging deep, and Juvia felt herself become numb starting at her feet. Breathing heavily, Juvia felt herself becoming cold.

Keith kneeled down, staring right at her face and tilting it as if to observe her struggle becoming lesser by the moment. "You're going to come back and purify the world for us once more, my dear. You belong to us, have been since before you were even conceived."

Juvia groaned in pain as he gripped her chin and forced her to look at him. "You are our goddess walking upon a planet of mortals; the monster people fear to have hiding within the shadows - this is your rightful place to be in control. Let the Particles take over, dear, it will become less painful for you."

Rain finally began to fall.

"_NO_!"

The sheet of water falling from the sky to the ground, Juvia's body morphed itself through Keith's body through a bloody break. Keith let out an airy gasp and fell to his knees, dropping his staff and holding onto his chest with both hands. He lurched for a moment, only to look down to see the mass of blood seeping through his clothes and dropping onto the rocky floor like buckets. Keith fell face-first, still and unmoving, the puddle of blood becoming bigger and bigger by the moment.

Juvia stood, heaving for breath, her shoulders rising up and down as she looked up to the sky. Scratched and bleeding from her wounds, the rain fell and dripped down her skin to be combined and slide to the ground. Within her hands, the draining heart of Keith and one of his lungs stopped becoming useful and laid dead on her palms. She coughed, and a drizzle of her blood slipped from her lips, making her drop the useless organs to attempt to wipe it away with her bloodied hands. When she pulled her hand back, she noticed that her own blood seemed far darker compared to Keith's ruby red blood - hers almost close to a dark purple-red. Her eyesight seemed blurry, but she was sure that there was something off about it.

"Ha...haha," Juvia's lip twitched upward in a half-pained smirk as she looked up to the black sky with a drunken expression.

Even though she felt numb and tired, she was pretty pleased by how quickly Keith fell dead as soon as she ripped out his heart and lung. It felt hot and sticky, but felt nice against her chilly hands; she liked how the rain felt on her skin and wetting her hair, despite it being winter and a cold breeze. Closing her eyes, Juvia's smile slowly fell as her shoulders drooped and her legs gave way, her battered knees colliding with the solid ground.

Her breathing was deep and slow, she felt herself feeling heavy but content and ready for recovering. Her blood pounding, feeling thick and syrupy, Juvia knew that whatever those Particles were inside her body right now would take some time to get rid of, but she will be…

Her thoughts were becoming foggy.

"..._Juvia_…"

Supporting herself on her hands and knees, her head swayed as she avoided landing on the dead heart and lung by rolling to the side. She can't remember why her hands felt so sticky. Did she pick something up with gum on it?

"..._Juvia_..!"

She really needed to change her clothes before she and Gray would go out for dinner after the job Makarov sent them on. They saw a really good first class menu on the train over, and they wanted to make it back home in time before Mirajane made her special dinner buffet. Now, her clothes felt dirty, and she didn't want to look dirty while she's having dinner with her Gray. She hoped he didn't get as dirty as she did, or lose any more shirts. Juvia didn't want to scold Gray, but his habit of taking off his clothes were ridiculous.

"_Juvia_!"

Hearing Gray's voice, she wondered why he sounded so worried. It wasn't like him. '_Juvia didn't mean to fall asleep, Gray-sama. Just closing my eyes for one moment, that's all.'_

.

.

.

"Gray-sama…" Juvia slurred and rolled her head on his shoulder to look at him with pleading eyes.

They were in a new area now, some kind of boiler room with very dim lighting and a humid atmosphere. Gray carried her and looked around the corner before coming around to a neon light sign in the distance. "We're almost out of here, Juvia. I just need you to hold on for a little bit longer."

"Gray-sama, Juvia needs to tell you..!" she whimpered against him.

Gray glanced down to her and slowly came to a halt. "What is it?"

"Juvia still loves you," she exhaled and his brows furrowed with how she seemed so desperate to tell him, as if they were running out of time. "I love you, please don't forget that. Juvia is _so_ _sorry_."

"Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything wrong," he told her seriously. They were roughly twenty feet away from the clear hallway towards the exit.

"See, that's where you're wrong, Fullbuster," a voice echoed and Gray's Devil Slayer mark suddenly sparked, spreading across his face and torso. His eyes turned red and teeth slightly sharpened as he spun around to see Jerome standing in the darkness.

The blond man stared with a neutral expression at the two with his hands behind him. With a sharp whistle, blinding lights came on and Avatar soldiers slipped from every corner, blocking any available exit or escape for Gray and Juvia. Weapons of all sizes and shapes aimed at them and Mary slipped from behind one of the guards by the exit, while Briar emerged behind Jerome with her hands on her hips.

"Gray-sama, this isn't very nice of you," Mary said with a pout in her voice. "After all these years, I've been so patient to meet her and you try to take her away? I don't think we can be friends anymore."

"You stay away," Gray snarled, his grip on Juvia becoming tighter and only a super thin coat of frost emerged on the coat she was wearing. "I'm warning you, I'll kill all of you if I have to."

"Yeah, but you can't with your hands full, honey," Briar pointed out rather cheekily. "You know your ice Magic doesn't work unless you use your hands, Gray. Trust us, we're not stupid."

"Release Juvia, and we won't have to use drastic measures on you," a soldier told him. "Slowly get on your knees, gently lay her down and keep your hands far apart."

Gray gave off a deadly aura around him, his red eyes glowing with anger. Jerome took a step forward, his eyes drifting to Juvia's pale face, causing him to snap. "Don't come any closer, do you hear me?"

"If you know what's good for you, you'd listen, Gray," Jerome said in a casual voice. "You don't want to hurt her any more than you already are, do you?"

Gray's eyes snapped down to see Juvia silently crying, trying to hide her face on his shoulder and keep away from looking to the other people around them. She was dark under her eyes in this light, her blue veins visible on the skin of her neck, down her shoulders and the back of her hands; her bangs sticking to her forehead, her eyes were murky in color and unfocused. He released a shuddered breath.

Shakingly getting himself to the ground, Gray situated her against him to have her sitting up more. "Juvia," he whispered to her quietly. Slowly forgetting about the rest of the world around them, he brushed some hair out of her face. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry," Juvia said, her eyes closing and tears slipped down her cheeks.

He held her close, cradling her face with one hand and an arm around her thin waist. Jerome took a few steps forward, towering over the both of them with a rather bored expression on his face; Mary crossing her arms with a pout on her face and waiting for something to happen as the soldiers stayed still and waited for orders. "She thinks being born was a mistake, that's why she's apologizing to you.

"What?"

"She was born for one reason and one reason only, and we won't have you in the way, Gray," Jerome explained as he glanced up to Mary.

Mary smiled rather devilishly and, in an instant, Gray's spine straightened and his eyes widened. He released a wet cough as he slouched forward, Juvia still in his arms as sweat began to form on his forehead. His eyes beginning to close from the horrible nausea, Gray gave one last threatening glare to Jerome.

"She was born to create a new world, after all."

.

.

.

=xxx=

AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE - Please remember to Review. I love hearing from you guys! It helps me keep motivated when things are down in the dumps! I'll see you next time, so be safe!


End file.
